Melih Gökçek's prosecutor testimony revealed: 'I learned about the company in Germany from Murat Ağırel's report'

Former Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek, against whom an ex officio investigation was launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office following allegations of transferring unregistered funds to companies abroad, gave his statement to the prosecutor on September 4 as a "suspect."

Journalist İsmail Saymaz reported the details of Gökçek's seven-page prosecutor's statement in his column in Sözcü.

In his statement, Gökçek said that he lives on his 150 thousand lira retired member of parliament salary and that he does not have any real estate or company partnerships registered in his name in Turkey or abroad.

GÖKÇEK WAS ALSO ASKED ABOUT 26 PROPERTIES

At the prosecutor's office, Melih Gökçek was also asked about 26 properties that were stated to have been registered in his name in the past.

Gökçek stated that he had bought and sold the houses, plots, and fields in question in past years. He stated that there is no real estate registered in the names of his family members or third parties that actually belongs to him.

HE EXPLAINED HIS SON'S REAL ESTATE ACTIVITY

Within the scope of the investigation, Gökçek's information was also sought regarding the companies and properties of his family members.

When asked about the activities of his son Ahmet Gökçek, Melih Gökçek said, "My son does not have a concrete job. He makes a living by buying and selling real estate. He buys and sells real estate with his own money and the assets of my daughter-in-law."

Gökçek also stated that he provided financial support to his son, saying, "To support Ahmet, I sold a villa in Ankara in 2018 and gave him the 1 million 265 thousand dollars I obtained."

HAMAG COMPANY IN GERMANY ALSO INCLUDED IN THE STATEMENT

At the prosecutor's office, questions were also directed regarding the company named HAMAG Immobilien GmbH, which was established in Germany in 2022 by Gökçek's daughter-in-law, Hülya Gökçek.

According to Saymaz, Gökçek claimed that he became aware of the company in question after Murat Ağırel's report. He said that the company was established by his son Ahmet Gökçek and his daughter-in-law for the purpose of making real estate investments in Germany.

Within the scope of the investigation, the financing source of the apartment worth 3.8 million Euros that the company is said to have purchased in Düsseldorf, as well as money transfers from Turkey to abroad, are also being examined.

MONEY MOVEMENTS IN THE MASAK REPORT ARE BEING EXAMINED

According to the information in Saymaz's article, the MASAK report, which entered the investigation file, determined that large amounts of Euros and US dollars were deposited into accounts linked to some members of the Gökçek family between 2022 and 2026.

The money movements in question and the financing sources of the real estate investments in Germany are being evaluated within the scope of the investigation.

HE DENIED THE ALLEGATION OF TRANSFERRING PUBLIC FUNDS

At the prosecutor's office, Melih Gökçek was also asked whether public funds were transferred for the benefit of his family members during his term as Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.

Gökçek denied the allegation in this direction, saying, "I have not provided any support."

HOW DID THE INVESTIGATION START?

Journalist Murat Ağırel recently published a report containing allegations that Melih Gökçek and his family transferred unregistered funds to companies abroad.

In the report, it was claimed that the Gökçek family made agreements for a building in the German city of Düsseldorf and a shopping mall in the city of Velbert.

Following these allegations, an ex officio investigation was launched against Melih Gökçek by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

GÖKÇEK HAD MADE A STATEMENT AFTER THE INVESTIGATION

Making a statement after the investigation was heard, Melih Gökçek had said, “With God's permission, I have no account that I cannot give. I will provide the necessary information to the prosecutor's office. I am surrendering myself to Turkish justice.”

HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW ALSO GAVE STATEMENTS

Following Melih Gökçek's statement to the prosecutor on September 4, his son Ahmet Gökçek and daughter-in-law Hülya Gökçek also came to the Ankara Courthouse on September 7 to give statements as part of the investigation.

Ahmet and Hülya Gökçek were released with a judicial control measure in the form of a travel ban.