Muhittin Böcek's third supplementary statement: 'İmamoğlu requested approximately 15 million Euros in financial support from me'

Muhittin Böcek, who is detained as part of the bribery and corruption investigation conducted by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and who was removed from his post as Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality by a decision of the Ministry of Interior, has submitted a supplementary statement to the prosecutor's office.

Böcek reiterated some of the statements he had made previously and provided explanations regarding developments he claims took place before the 2024 local elections.

"I BROUGHT APPROXIMATELY 950 THOUSAND EUROS"

Muhittin Böcek noted the following in his statement:

"In the statement I previously gave as part of the investigations conducted against me, I had provided the necessary explanations regarding the payment I made to the late Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek during the election and candidacy process, in line with Özgür Özel's request.

Before my candidacy was announced, I went to Manisa on 15/01/2024 under the direction of Özgür Özel. Since my candidacy had not yet been announced, I went to Manisa thinking that it would contribute to my candidacy, given that it is Özgür Özel's hometown and he is the party chairman.

After the meeting in Ankara that I mentioned in my previous statement, Özgür Özel had specifically instructed me to provide financial and project support to Ferdi Zeyrek. Upon this, while going to Manisa, I took approximately 950,000 Euros with me in a bag.

A social project presentation was made there. I was also left alone with Ferdi Zeyrek for a short while. During this time, I left the money next to his desk. My previous statements regarding this matter are correct."

"İMAMOĞLU REQUESTED APPROXIMATELY 15 MILLION EUROS IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM ME"

"Now, I want to tell you about another incident I experienced during the 2024 local election process. During the work I carried out to become a candidate for the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in the 2024 local elections, I learned that the Mayor of Muratpaşa had met with Ekrem İmamoğlu, that he had given him certain assurances regarding the determination of mayoral candidates, and that in return, he would make large expenditures and payments.

I also received information that an agreement had been reached with Ekrem İmamoğlu's advisor, Necati Özkan, regarding the election campaign. Following these developments, I traveled to Istanbul by air on 30/11/2023, before my candidacy was announced, in order to clarify the situation and meet directly with Ekrem İmamoğlu regarding my candidacy.

In Istanbul, I held a meeting with Ekrem İmamoğlu at the Renaissance İstanbul Polat Bosphorus Hotel that lasted about an hour. My private secretary, Yasin Yellice, witnessed the meeting. We even took a photo together on the hotel balcony after the meeting. I remember that he took the photo himself and that I later shared it on my social media account.

In this meeting, Ekrem İmamoğlu stated that he had not promised the candidacy to anyone else and that he would choose me. During this time, he made assessments regarding his political roadmap, stating that there was a need for financial resources for the election campaign and that he was also planning a presidential candidacy in the future. He said that during this process, that is, during his presidential candidacy process, Antalya would undertake important tasks both economically and socially, and that I should be prepared for this and provide support.

He requested approximately 15 million Euros in financial support from me. I told him that I would meet this as much as I could and over time. Upon this, he also requested that his expenditures in the Mediterranean Region during his presidential candidacy period be covered by me as support. I promised to meet his demands.

Upon this, I returned to Antalya. I told a friend, who held a portion of my election budget along with some of my personal money, that I needed 5 million Euros. I informed him that I would make a payment in Istanbul with this money.

A few days later, when I met with him, he took a photo of a 100 TL banknote he had with him. He also gave me a piece of paper with a name and phone number written on it inside an envelope. He said that I should give the paper, along with the banknote he put in the envelope, to the person I wanted to pay, and that they could collect the money with this at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. As far as I understand, this is a system called 'hawala'.

In order to meet a portion of the demand, about two weeks later, on 16/12/2023, I first called Ekrem İmamoğlu. I stated that I would come. Later, I traveled to Istanbul by air on 17/12/2023 to meet with Ekrem İmamoğlu. I don't know Istanbul very well, but as far as I remember, I went to a building he used as an election office. It was an office located on the ground floor of a high-rise plaza. We met in a room belonging to him there.

In this second meeting, which we held alone again, I handed him the banknote and the paper with the phone number on it. I told him that I would handle the rest of the requested money over time. I committed to winning many districts of Antalya in this election. I also presented my work regarding all the districts. I left him in this way.

I did not fulfill the remainder of the money I committed because Ekrem was arrested. Through this payment method, my son Gökhan Böcek also mediated the payment of our election advertising expenses by the same friend. It is not possible for me to know from which currency exchange office the money I gave to Ekrem was collected. It is a payment system collected from a currency exchange office with this banknote, which is a password, and it is already a system that involves confidentiality.

During both of my visits with Ekrem İmamoğlu, my mobile private secretary Yasin Yellice was with me. Although he did not enter the room, he is a witness that I held the meeting."

"EKREM İMAMOĞLU'S PRESIDENTIAL GOAL BECAME DOMINANT"

"Because of this statement, I would also like to present some of my political experiences and observations. I have been in detention since July 5, 2025, as part of the process that is a continuation of the investigation launched based in Istanbul. I still have a file pending at the Sixth High Criminal Court.

Numerous investigations regarding the municipality and related institutions are also ongoing. At the same time, following the Ekrem İmamoğlu case, there have been Istanbul-based investigations, removals from office, and lawsuits targeting many CHP metropolitan, provincial, and district municipalities.

For about a year, due to investigations that were thought to be largely inconclusive or would be evaluated within the framework of general provisions, my duty as mayor, which represents the will of the people of Antalya, my social life, and the promises I made to my voters have been dragged into uncertainty; both I and the will I represent have been victimized.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, as one of the leading figures of CHP municipalism, has played an important role in the winning of many municipalities after many years, thanks to the favor of the public. However, after this political success, while everyone should have been fulfilling their responsibilities in their own areas of duty, he pushed his mayoral duties into the background and turned to an early presidential preparation process. In this context, political strategies were developed, efforts were made to create economic resources, and various meetings and studies concerning the whole country were carried out.

Although we have expressed from time to time that everything has its time, that conditions must mature, and that it would be more correct to first fulfill the requirements of the authority to govern the municipality given by the people, these views did not find a response.

I believe that Ekrem İmamoğlu's presidential goal and his desire to manage all decisions from a single center have become dominant in his political approach. This process, which was carried out in an uncontrolled and shortsighted manner, has negatively affected many CHP municipalities, especially Antalya; it has caused political unrest to increase and public services to be pushed into the background.

Within the framework of the issues I have described above, although Ekrem İmamoğlu is also a mayor, he has turned into a supra-party political power that is influential in the determination of all mayors over time.

So much so that a situation has arisen where even the Party Assembly and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel cannot act on many issues outside of his opinion. This situation is not healthy for the natural functioning of politics, and the results are evident. On one hand, the steering of a political party like the CHP, which has a history of over a century, and on the other hand, the management of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the attempt to carry out preparations for the presidential election 4 years away at the same time, combined with early election debates, have created a controversial political atmosphere in terms of democratic traditions.

It is a known fact in the public eye that Ekrem İmamoğlu has carried out many studies in the fields of economy, social media, and the like in line with his presidential goal; municipalities, members of parliament, business people, journalists, and various social actors have been made a part of these processes.

The statement made by Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu a few days ago, 'Municipalities are not places to meet the demands of headquarters and leaders,' also reveals the essence of these debates. As someone who has been a mayor for two years, of course, there may be deficiencies and errors in our municipalities arising from legislation or emerging in practice. However, one of the reasons for the weakening of the strong support that CHP municipalism has achieved in the eyes of the public today is that political goals are placed ahead of municipal activities. This situation causes results that harm both the CHP and our country.

Ekrem İmamoğlu has exhibited similar versions of some practices he criticized in the past before he even reached that status. His effort to create a decisive will over the party despite being a mayor, his desire for all decisions to be connected to him at the final stage, and his creation of a concentration of power contrary to democratic traditions have revealed a politically unhealthy picture. I submit these evaluations to the appreciation of the public as a responsibility to show how personal ambitions can drag an entire institution into uncertainty, anxiety, and vulnerability. I have sincerely expressed the facts I know and my thoughts. I submit them for your appreciation."