Another effective remorse in the IMM investigation... 'If I had known, I wouldn't even have been friends'

The corruption investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against suspects, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his post as IMM President after being arrested, continues on charges of "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "extortion," "bribery," "qualified fraud," "unlawfully obtaining personal data," and "rigging a tender."

Lawyer Orçun Yılmaz, who is currently under arrest as part of the investigation, also provided testimony within the framework of effective remorse provisions.

Yılmaz's statement is as follows:

“The provisions of effective remorse were explained to me. I want to provide my statement by benefiting from effective remorse. I had answered all the questions asked to me by the police and the prosecutor's office along with their evidence, but I was not asked any questions about the relationship between Emrah Bağdatlı and Murat Ongun. For this reason, I did not have the opportunity to touch upon that subject. However, when I evaluate what I remember during the process, what I experienced, and some details I learned later from the television in prison as a whole, I wanted to provide this additional statement, which I think contains important information and will benefit the investigation.

I met Emrah Bağdatlı through our mutual friends in 2019-2020 at Galatasaray matches in the stands and at dinners that lasted four to five hours before the matches at venues such as Vadi İstanbul, Nevizade, and Tahta Saray. I am a die-hard Galatasaray fan and a congress member. I am a fan described as a 'tribüncü' (a dedicated stadium fan). Emrah is very social, has a very wide circle in Istanbul, is known by everyone in the stands, and comes to every match. We would be in very large groups at these dinners. We also went to two or three of Galatasaray's matches abroad together as a large group.

In 2021, we moved to Istanbul as a family because my eldest daughter passed the Koç School entrance exam and was going to continue her education in Istanbul. Before that, in 2018, together with my partner, we had opened the Istanbul branch of a furniture store that also had branches in İzmir and Samsun. We also had a law office in Istanbul where we worked as partners. Emrah had directed people from his circle to me from time to time, both on legal matters and on furniture-related issues. Through this, the frequency of our phone calls began to increase.

"He was living an extremely luxurious and ostentatious life"

Since I met Emrah Bağdatlı around 2020 and started to become close with him over time, I do not know his previous life, but when I met him, he was living an extremely luxurious and ostentatious life. He loved to show off with money to almost everyone, talk about his life, and show it with photos. He had an expensive watch collection. In fact, he has a video about watches on YouTube (it can be found if the videos have not been deleted). He would take vacations at the most expensive hotels and drive the latest model cars. He would brag about his luxurious vacations and expenses in social settings and to me. Almost every evening, he would eat at expensive restaurants with a group of friends.

He never spared money, and his circle was very wide. Emrah Bağdatlı was a huge gambling addict. He would frequently go abroad and to Cyprus to gamble and would play with very large sums. Online gambling, betting, casinos, horse racing, whatever you can think of, he played. Even while eating, he would play gambling and betting games on his phone.

Emrah Bağdatlı would say that he had a relationship with Murat Ongun that went beyond a brotherly bond, and he would tell this boastfully. The two of them lived as neighbors in the region where luxury villas are located in Acarkent. Emrah would refer to Murat as 'my brother,' and he was saved in his phone as 'M' in capital letters. Emrah Bağdatlı and Murat Ongun would go on all vacations together as families. Murat Ongun's son would also come to the matches with us from time to time along with Emrah. They had a life that was very intertwined with their families. When Murat Ongun called Emrah and summoned him, Emrah would go to him or to the place Murat said, no matter what and no matter where he was. He would always go to his meetings with Murat Ongun alone; he would say, 'My brother doesn't want anyone with him, he says come alone.' He would explain that they met at home almost every day, even if not during the day, because they were neighbors.

"He would introduce himself as 'I am Murat Ongun's man, I work under him'"

Emrah Bağdatlı would introduce himself everywhere by saying, 'I am Murat Ongun's man, I work under him.' He told me that Murat Ongun was the head of communications for the IMM and that he worked under him, and that he carried out the management of social media channels, as well as internet and press affairs, under his orders. From the photos he showed and the photos he sent to the Galatasaray WhatsApp group, they had two luxury yachts that they used together in Istanbul and Bodrum. They would use them together as families and go on vacations. They have a private club in Taksim called SOHO. He explained that not everyone could be a member of this club and that he was a founding member. He said that those who are not members of this club cannot enter, but members can bring guests. There was also a luxury massage parlor inside the club.

Emrah Bağdatlı would say that they met frequently with Murat Ongun at this club called SOHO, had massages there, and held meetings, and that they were comfortable because it was secluded. You can also verify these from member and guest entry records and camera records. Emrah Bağdatlı was also always with Murat Ongun at the election coordination office during the last local elections in Istanbul. He showed us many photos they took as a group and sent them to our WhatsApp group. Emrah Bağdatlı also stayed in Ankara for days with Murat Ongun at the last CHP General Assembly in Ankara, which Özgür Özel won. Since I also have a law office in Ankara and business related to our family company, I spend about 10-15 days of every month in Ankara, so because I know Ankara well, they had asked me about restaurants they could go to in the evenings. For this reason, I am a witness that they acted together in Ankara during this process. In other words, Murat Ongun never left Emrah Bağdatlı's side. Emrah Bağdatlı would accept everything Murat Ongun said as an order and would carry it out like his brother or boss. Emrah Bağdatlı told me, 'I am both the brother and the safe of Murat Ongun; I am the person he trusts the most, to whom he even entrusts his money and his family.'

"He would talk about buying racehorses worth millions from abroad"

Emrah Bağdatlı stopped coming to Galatasaray matches and dinners for a few months before the operation. He would say that his work was very busy, that he had business with his brother, meaning Murat Ongun, and he was going on frequent trips abroad. Once, when he said he was going abroad, I asked him, 'What are you doing abroad so much?' and he said, 'My brother (Murat Ongun) gave me a task, I'll go and come back in a few days.'

About 15-20 days before the operation, Emrah Bağdatlı told me and our mutual friends that he was going to America, that there was a fair there related to advertising materials, but he went to Greece. Like everyone else, I found out about it from the television after the operation. When I put all these together, I am of the opinion that he was aware of the operation beforehand, that they were preparing for it, and that he was instructed by Murat Ongun to go abroad.

Emrah Bağdatlı and Murat Ongun had a joint horse that was also reflected in the press. Emrah Bağdatlı would also talk about buying other racehorses worth millions from domestic and foreign sources.

He would frequently show us photos of these horses and tell us information about their breeds. He would constantly have conversations with the people who enabled him to buy the horses and who took care of them. I think they were also partners with Murat Ongun in these horses because he had conveyed information about these horses to Murat Ongun on the phone in our presence. He would say that he would buy a large horse farm from abroad and that he wanted to establish a company there and do horse breeding, but I do not know if he established a company or not. He had shown me photos and a link to a farm worth millions from an online real estate site.

Emrah Bağdatlı never used a credit card, he carried money in a bag with him, and he made his payments in cash. Emrah Bağdatlı saw Murat Ongun's instructions as orders. Emrah Bağdatlı was afraid of Murat Ongun. Beyond a brotherly relationship, there was also a hierarchical relationship between them. Murat Ongun would constantly give instructions to Emrah Bağdatlı and send him to various places. The moment Murat Ongun called, Emrah Bağdatlı would leave whatever he was doing and do the work he said.

"Emrah Bağdatlı would also say that he was very close with Acun Ilıcalı"

Emrah Bağdatlı would mostly come to these dinners where we met before or to watch matches with other friends or people he did business with or planned to do business with. Once, he came with a friend whom he said he wanted to buy a private jet and rent it out, and that he was renting out Acun Ilıcalı's jets to other people when he wasn't using them. Emrah Bağdatlı would provide the money for the jet, and this friend would find customers to rent it out, and the jet would not be left empty; he said this person was very well-known in this regard, but I cannot remember this person's name.

I don't know if he bought a jet, but if you can reach this person, you can learn from him. Emrah Bağdatlı told us that he was also very close with Acun Ilıcalı, that he was a guest in the box of the Hull City team, which he owns in England, many times, that he went to the famous Survivor island, that he went and came with his private jet, and that they met and ate together many times, and he showed us many photos and videos. In fact, once while talking to Acun on the phone, he put him on speakerphone and let us all listen; it was truly a very intimate conversation. There are other witnesses at the table for these.

Then, another time, he came to dinner with someone who was a ship broker. Throughout the dinner, they talked about what type and model of ship he should buy. They were going to buy a ship and be partners with this person, but I don't know what they did.

Again, another time, he said he would open fast-food style chain restaurants for pita and lahmacun. He showed us the logos and the names they were thinking of at the table and asked for everyone's opinion. After some time had passed, they opened this restaurant somewhere in Bakırköy Square.

He had invited us all to dinner, but since I didn't go and I don't know Istanbul, especially the European side, very well, I cannot describe the location, but I can learn the location from the friends who went. It had a name like Pide Express. I don't know if they opened other branches, but when you find this place, you can easily determine the rest. I am of the opinion that Emrah Bağdatlı did these things he did or tried to do as a partner with Murat Ongun or by using his money. Because he had a list in his hand where he said they could open shops. He would say they could open shops in these places and ask those at the table for their opinions about the shop locations. He said they would take or rent these shops from the municipality or its affiliates; if this subject is investigated, it will be found.

"Murat Ongun, Hüseyin Köksal, and Emrah Bağdatlı would meet frequently"

I do not know the person named Hüseyin Köksal. I have never met him. Emrah Bağdatlı told me that he was the owner of a large textile factory, that he was a brother he loved very much, and that they did some joint business. As I said before, his circle was very wide and he had dialogues with many such people. However, I learned from the television and newspapers in prison that Hüseyin Köksal had advertising companies that received tenders from IMM affiliates after the investigation. Emrah Bağdatlı, Murat Ongun, and Hüseyin Köksal would meet constantly and spend special days like New Year's and birthdays together with their families. Emrah Bağdatlı would definitely send his photos from special days or expensive vacations to the WhatsApp group to show off. There is a Raffles Hotel inside Zorlu AVM. Emrah Bağdatlı said that there was a super-luxury apartment in this hotel that Hüseyin Köksal owned.

Emrah would explain that Murat Ongun, Hüseyin Köksal, and Emrah Bağdatlı met here frequently. In fact, Emrah even had a card for this apartment. Emrah showed us photos of this apartment and the room card and showed off. You can also verify these with the hotel management and camera records. Emrah Bağdatlı and Murat Ongun would use this place like their own apartment; Emrah would tell everyone, 'I have an office in Zorlu.' When I combine this with the recent investigation, I started to think that the partnership relationship between them and Hüseyin Köksal was related to advertising business. Emrah Bağdatlı would tell too many things, especially after drinking two or three double shots of alcohol, and he also had a very loose tongue.

Emrah Bağdatlı would also boastfully tell me and our other friends at the table that many accounts on Twitter and similar social media were controlled by him under the instructions of Murat Ongun.

When I evaluate all these events, what Emrah Bağdatlı told in the chat environment, what he showed, and the information I learned later from the television and newspapers in prison together, I think that the relationship between Emrah Bağdatlı and Murat Ongun was not limited to a closeness similar to a brotherly bond, and that there was a partnership or a deeper connection in the background of this relationship.

I think that Emrah Bağdatlı was protecting Murat Ongun's money and that he was also getting a share, and that Emrah Bağdatlı was taking his own and Murat Ongun's money abroad.

"If I had known the criminal aspects, I wouldn't even have been friends with him"

I have an established and reliable advertising company called Medya Kent, which I founded in 2010, which operated the advertising spaces of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality for 10 years, and which also does business within the scope of advertising spaces and events for many municipalities and the private sector, and has work completions. We have submitted a bid for only 1 of the 18 tenders received by the Creative firm, which is being examined within the scope of the investigation, in November 2024. When we moved our media and furniture company to Istanbul in 2021, our relevant friends left the files and work completions of our companies to many municipalities in Istanbul.

Emrah Bağdatlı did not give me any direction in submitting a price quote for the tender I mentioned. When the offer came from Kültür A.Ş., we did market research and submitted our bid in a sealed envelope. I have no connection with this organization. If I did, I would have had to submit bids for and win perhaps hundreds of tenders since 2020. I am facing these accusations because it was an ordinary fan friendship that started in the stands and continued in a friend environment, as I explained before.

I have no other relationship with this person. If I had known the criminal aspects of Emrah Bağdatlı other than what I have told you, which were reflected in the television and press, I would not even have been friends with him. I regret being friends with Emrah. I have told everything I know sincerely. I am ready to answer any questions you may have."

ASKED: Do you have any observations or knowledge regarding the relationship of the fugitive suspect Emrah Bağdatlı with Ömür Yılmaz and the fugitive suspect Merthan Açıl, and the money traffic between them?

IN RESPONSE: The Creative firm I mentioned in my statement is Merthan Açıl's firm. I am a suspect in the file because I submitted a bid for one of the 18 tenders he received, which amounted to approximately 470 million in total. I also learned after the investigation that the owner of this firm was Merthan Açıl. I knew Merthan as a salaried employee and former brother-in-law of the Hull City team, which is owned by Acun Ilıcalı. I learned that he also had very close relationships with Acun Ilıcalı. Acun Ilıcalı sees Merthan Açıl as his brother.

I have no acquaintance with him other than talking on the phone two or three times to get information on legal matters under the direction of Emrah Bağdatlı. He lives abroad, we have never met face to face. He and Emrah Bağdatlı have been very close friends for 10-15 years. Ömür Yılmaz, on the other hand, is a very close friend of Emrah Bağdatlı.

I knew that his brother was a police chief and that he operated a cafe-restaurant style place in Karaköy with a friend. I also learned after the investigation that he had an advertising company. He would sometimes come to our match dinners with Emrah Bağdatlı; he is also a Galatasaray fan. At the same time, because we were neighbors at Akasya Sitesi, we would meet and talk during morning walks. He had a small dog, and my daughters would play with it. We have talked on the phone after some Galatasaray matches. We also acted as their lawyers after a traffic accident his fiancée was involved in. Because we were neighbors, I have met with him more often.”