Curious defense from Seçil Erzan: 'I was the one defrauded, others became property owners'

The fraud case involving former Denizbank branch manager Seçil Erzan, who collected money from many people in the worlds of sports and business under the guise of the 'Fatih Terim Fund' with promises of high returns, continues to remain on the agenda.

The remarks made by Erzan, who faces up to 226 years in prison, during the November 20 hearing have resurfaced.

The hearing for the fraud case held on November 20, which was recorded via the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS), was recently transcribed into a 174-page document. Sözcü columnist İsmail Saymaz drew attention to the following sections from the transcript in his column today:

COURT PRESIDENT: Your relatives gave money. Were you investing that money?

ERZAN: Yes, I was investing it. Those relatives now say, 'She withdrew money without our knowledge.' That is not the case. Everyone did it of their own free will... At that time, I was investing, I was participating in public offerings. When I couldn't pay, I would take out loans.

COURT PRESIDENT: Why were you doing something like this?

ERZAN: Our common denominator was making money from money. But I haven't earned anything to this day.

COURT PRESIDENT: After 2020...

ERZAN: Someone who wanted to multiply their money through off-the-books earnings handed it over to me.

COURT PRESIDENT: Who is this?

DEFENDANT SEÇİL ERZAN: Someone from Galatasaray.

(At this stage, she does not give a name) They left the club at that time. I was paying them money whenever they wanted so they could continue their life and make their payments; I couldn't say 'No'.

COURT PRESIDENT: They gave you a certain amount of money.

ERZAN: Yes, in cash.

COURT PRESIDENT: You sent it as needed.

ERZAN: The money they wanted started to become much, much, much more than the money they gave, and I couldn't say no.

COURT PRESIDENT: I suppose there was money flowing in and out.

ERZAN: No, it happened once. It was something like 300 thousand dollars.

COURT PRESIDENT: You were giving it in installments.

ERZAN: Well, 50 thousand dollars was requested, it was paid. 100 thousand dollars was requested, it was paid.

COURT PRESIDENT: You couldn't say no.

ERZAN: I didn't, I couldn't. What was I doing? This money needed to be generated. I mortgaged my own assets, sold my car, sold our house in Florya. My cousins' money was coming and going, I was paying from that. Then they started taking too much. There was no problem until July 2021.

Until two people whose names I don't want to give (referring to Ayhan Akman and Fırat Özdemir) came; because they knew that the people who received money from me were earning a lot, first one came, then they brought the other. If they gave one, they started to take 100, and ask for 200-300, and in the end, I couldn't pay, I started to be threatened. My biggest fear was being fired from the bank.

The prosecutor asked, 'Who came to you first?'

Erzan, who did not give Terim's name at first, said 'Okay' in response to the questions.

COURT PRESIDENT: Everyone understood who it was. Is this person you mentioned Fatih Terim?

ERZAN: Everyone trusted his word.

COURT PRESIDENT: Was this person you mentioned as 300 thousand dollars, Terim?

ERZAN: Okay.

The court president asked, 'Do you know Terim?'

From the transcript:

ERZAN: I know him.

COURT PRESIDENT: Was there any exchange of money between you?

ERZAN: Yes.

COURT PRESIDENT: Do you have any debt?

ERZAN: Absolutely not.

In the interrogation, while explaining that she received Emre Belözoğlu's money through Terim's son-in-law Volkan Bahçekapılı, Erzan implies that Terim knew about the fund scheme. She notes that Bahçekapılı came with a reference from his father-in-law.

ERZAN: Bahçekapılı came with a reference because they knew me well in his family, liked me, and I was known for my banking transactions. He came after confirming with his father-in-law.

LAWYER ŞEKİP MASTUROĞLU: Who is his father-in-law?

ERZAN: Fatih Terim.

Neither Terim's son-in-law Bahçekapılı nor his lawyer Turhan Karataş objected to Erzan's statements.