Testimony of Taşbaş, whistleblower in the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality case: 'The informant of the case is Osman Gökçek'

In his testimony, Osman Cem Taşbaş, who turned whistleblower in the concert investigation, stated, "I submitted my petition addressed to the Ministry of Interior about 10 days ago directly to Osman Gökçek to be forwarded to the minister, because the informant of the case and the Member of Parliament is Osman Gökçek."

According to the report published on T24, Taşbaş alleged in his testimony that payments far above market rates were made for ABB's concert organizations, and claimed that the former Head of the Culture Department, Hacı Ali Bozkurt, and the current Head, Haluk Erdemir, "gave false statements to the inspectors in order to exonerate Mansur Yavaş and Chief of Staff Nevzat Uzunoğlu and keep them out of the investigation." Stating that he prepared a petition to be submitted to the Ministry of Interior regarding the matter, Taşbaş said, "I submitted my petition addressed to the Ministry of Interior about 10 days ago directly to Osman Gökçek to be forwarded to the minister, because the informant of the case and the Member of Parliament is Osman Gökçek. I handed the petition to Osman Gökçek in person at Beyaz TV. In the petition, I stated that the declarations made by Hacı Ali Bozkurt, who gave statements in the inspector reports, claiming that 'the artists and prices were determined by the secretary general and his deputies' were false."

TAŞBAŞ'S TESTIMONY

Noting that he has worked in the sound systems unit at ABB for 18 years and served during the terms of Melih Gökçek, Mustafa Tuna, and Mansur Yavaş, Taşbaş claimed that concert events were limited and held on specific days before Hacı Ali Bozkurt became the Head of the Culture Department, and that the number of concert procurements increased significantly after Bozkurt took office. In his testimony, where he stated that price quotes for concert service procurements were collected by personnel and contracts were signed with companies offering the best prices, Taşbaş noted that the final decision-making authority was Hacı Ali Bozkurt.

ALLEGATION OF PROCUREMENT CONTRARY TO REGULATIONS

Stating that despite the price research they conducted, Bozkurt decided himself which organization company to work with, Taşbaş said, "Even though we told him that the organization company he worked with was asking for a very high price and that there were companies in the market that would do it for much less, he still worked with the companies he wanted."

Taşbaş continued his testimony as follows:

"(Bozkurt) used to meet with the owners of the companies he had agreed with before it was decided to hold a concert. Here, the companies were asked to obtain an authorization certificate from the artist who would perform. The company officials would obtain a short-term authorization certificate from the artist for the concert date. When a service procurement was to be made for a concert, Hacı Ali Bozkurt would say that the mentioned firms had authorization certificates from the artists and therefore we had to make the technical procurement from these firms, and he made service procurements under Article 22/b, even though it was contrary to tender regulations. Even though he was told that this direct procurement, i.e., Article 22/b, was against the procedure, he insisted on continuing to procure services in this way. In fact, the firms that received authorization from the artists sent deposits to the artists before the concert service procurement contract was signed. They were sending deposits for some artists about 5-6 months in advance. Hacı Ali Bozkurt and Haluk Erdemir knew that the firms were acting in this way. Although Haluk Erdemir occasionally objected to this procedure, he still signed the contracts in his capacity as department head."

"IT INCREASED BECAUSE OF BARGAINING"

"These prices have increased unnecessarily. Market price research was also conducted based on the proforma invoices received from these firms. I declared that the very high prices in concert procurements were not normal, that they were far above market rates, and that there were firms that would organize concerts at a more reasonable price, and I reported this issue verbally to Hacı Ali Bozkurt and the person named Nevzat Uzunoğlu, the chief of staff, and objected. Later, I sent a message to Uzunoğlu stating that the prices for concert procurements were very high. In the message, I conveyed that a concert, the name of which I do not remember, was agreed upon for 69 million, that Hacı Ali Bozkurt was about to sign the contract, that the market value was around 30-40 million, and that even at this price, the firm had a profit of around 10 million. He replied to me by saying 'okay'. I remember this concert as the April 23, 2024 concert, as far as I can recall. However, this concert was signed for 71 million."

"THE INFORMANT OF THE CASE IS OSMAN GÖKÇEK"

In his testimony, Taşbaş stated that Bozkurt and Erdemir reported in their statements in the inspector reports that "they determined these concert prices and artists with Secretary General Serhat Taşkınsu and Deputy Secretary General Faruk Çınkı," and claimed, "This situation they declared to the inspector reports was given to exonerate Mayor Mansur Yavaş and Chief of Staff Nevzat Uzunoğlu and to keep them out of the investigation, and these statements they gave are completely false."

Continuing his testimony regarding this, Taşbaş alleged that AKP MP Osman Gökçek is the informant of this case. Taşbaş said:

"I submitted my petition addressed to the Ministry of Interior about 10 days ago directly to Osman Gökçek to be forwarded to the minister, because the informant of the case and the Member of Parliament is Osman Gökçek. I handed the petition to Osman Gökçek in person at Beyaz TV. In the petition, I stated that the declarations made by the person named Hacı Ali Bozkurt, who gave statements in the inspector reports, claiming that 'the artists and prices were determined by the secretary general and his deputies' were false. I had to submit this petition because I knew how concert events were conducted."

"IT COULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT YAVAŞ'S APPROVAL"

"Regarding the concerts, artists for special days when concerts were to be held, such as April 23 or August 30, were determined 5-6 months in advance. Hacı Ali Bozkurt and the firm would do the determination. Among the firms, S.Ç was the one most dealt with. He would do all the high-amount concerts on these special days with S.Ç, and he would state that S.Ç did his job well. In fact, S.Ç is the person who did the advertising organization for the 2024 local elections. Hacı Ali Bozkurt trusts this person very much. Artist determinations and the planned concert would first be conveyed to the chief of staff, Nevzat Uzunoğlu, and then the concert planning would be conveyed to Mansur Yavaş. These concerts would absolutely not be held without the approval of Mansur Yavaş and Nevzat Uzunoğlu."

Uzunoğlu and Bozkurt decided that Mansur Yavaş's election campaign in the 2024 local elections should be given to the Enfest company and the person named S.Ç, who is its owner. Mansur Yavaş received briefings from two different companies during the election campaign, but Hacı Ali Bozkurt personally took the briefing of the Enfest firm to Mansur Yavaş together with the company owner S.Ç and provided a reference for this firm. Mansur Yavaş adopted the slogan 'Less talk, more work' and decided to carry out his election work with the Enfest firm."

"I TOOK LEAVE"

"After the concert was planned, I was on duty in the inspection committee for the technical part of the concert. The list of materials to be installed would come to me, and I would check whether it was suitable for the organization, whether it was missing or complete. I was authorized from 2019 until the end of 2023. I would sign the tender file inspection. At the beginning of 2024, I told Hacı Ali Bozkurt, Haluk Erdemir, and Nevzat Uzunoğlu that there were excessive price rumors among the organization firms in the market. They pushed me away by saying, 'Don't get involved, you talk too much, you get involved in everything.' I used official leave during these dates to avoid signing off on the large-amount concerts to be held. I went out of Ankara. H.Z, who was acting as the Head of the Culture Affairs Department, C.A, A.Ç among the culture managers, and the people named K.B and B.C, who were in the status of chief, signed the service procurement contracts even though they knew about the irregularities in concert procurements, and they did not object to the irregularities committed."

"HE SIGNED IT HIMSELF WHEN HE BECAME DEPARTMENT HEAD"

"After Hacı Ali Bozkurt retired due to age, Haluk Erdemir was appointed in his place as the Head of the Culture Affairs Department, but Bozkurt continued to sit in the office. Erdemir made all the concert procurements he made under the direction of Bozkurt. Haluk Erdemir and Bozkurt acted together in reporting some artists and prices to Chief of Staff Nevzat Uzunoğlu. Haluk Erdemir has knowledge of all irregularities in concert procurements. He objected from time to time, but when he became the department head, he signed these irregularities himself."

"HE LEFT WITH AN EMPTY BAG"

"I have heard some rumors that Uzunoğlu obtained financial benefits regarding the concerts. Specifically, while Ç.K, who is a friend of Mansur Yavaş and the person named Uzunoğlu and worked as the CHP provincial vice president in the 2009-2014 elections, was sitting in the security room of the C Block, i.e., the official block, of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, the company owner named S.Ç went to Nevzat Uzunoğlu with a full bag under his arm and stayed with him for a few hours. Later, he left there with an empty bag. Ç.K, who saw this and became suspicious, asked the then Anfa security manager I.K, a guard from the president's security team whose name I do not know, and the security manager A.Ş to turn on the cameras. They saw from the camera that the bag was taken into Uzunoğlu's room full and brought out empty. Ç.K, who witnessed the incident personally, told me this.

Later, on August 17, 2024, when Ç.K asked Nevzat Uzunoğlu in his office what kind of interest relationship you have with Hacı Ali Bozkurt, Uzunoğlu got angry and hit Ç.K. Subsequently, they called me and asked me to come; I was in the Güdül district at that time. I left immediately and came to the Municipality, and went up to Uzunoğlu's office. While Hacı Ali Bozkurt, Ç.K, F.K, Uzunoğlu, and I were there, he addressed us and said, 'Explain, let's see what interest I have from Hacı Ali Bozkurt.' He yelled at F.K, saying you get involved in everything and you are the one conveying these rumors to Ç.K. This period lasted about half an hour and F.K left there. Following this, I asked Uzunoğlu about the bag incident. He asked me if I knew what was inside, and I said I guessed, but he told me that 'there was a file inside the bag brought by S.Ç for the 2028 Presidential election.' I told him that you started the 2028 Presidential election early, and the subject was closed there."