C.D., who testified as part of an investigation into the Sarıgül family regarding allegations of "money laundering," claimed that Mustafa Sarıgül made sexual advances toward him and some of his colleagues. Explaining that he was introduced to Sarıgül at youth camps and later began working at the municipality, C.D. stated in his testimony, "In a way, we had to give massages."
According to reports by İHA, C.D. stated in his testimony to the prosecutor's office that he was introduced to Sarıgül at youth camps he attended as a high school student, and that he was subjected to the alleged incidents after he started working at the municipality. Claiming that employees fulfilled these demands out of fear of losing their jobs, C.D. said, “Because we were young and feared we wouldn't be able to find other work, we did what he said. Mustafa Sarıgül would directly assign those who did not meet his demands to positions we called exile.” he stated.
“THEY WOULD CONVINCE YOUNG PEOPLE BY TELLING THEM THEY WOULD BE LEADERS”
Explaining that he was a student in the electronics department of Şişli Vocational High School in 2004 and began an internship at the Şişli Municipality through his father, C.D. alleged that he was introduced to Sarıgül through youth camps.
C.D. included the following remarks in his testimony:
“The person in charge of the youth camps during that period was A.S., a neighborhood headman (muhtar). A.S. would introduce high school students to Mustafa Sarıgül under the guise of a leadership camp. He would convince the young people by telling them they would be leaders and reach high positions, and introduce them to Mustafa Sarıgül at these youth camps. The youth camps were held at a hotel in Uludağ, at the Şişli Municipality camp in Şile, and at a hotel in Kumburgaz. I attended the youth camp in Kumburgaz two or three times.”
Claiming that students were made to memorize anthems and were given various promises at the camps, C.D. stated that young people were influenced by these activities at the time.
Describing how they would sing the anthems when they encountered Sarıgül, C.D. said:
“Because we were young at the time, we were influenced by these anthems. When we appeared before Sarıgül, my friends and I would shout these anthems one by one, and Sarıgül would hit the table and say, ‘You are a leader, you will be the president.’ The children would get excited and want to be close to Sarıgül.”
“IN A WAY, WE HAD TO GIVE MASSAGES”
C.D. alleged that during his time as mayor, Mustafa Sarıgül would call some employees to his office to give him massages. Claiming that he and a colleague experienced this, C.D. stated that there was a bed and a shower cabin in the office.
C.D. made the following allegations in his prosecutor's testimony:
“When Mustafa Sarıgül was mayor, he would call many people to his office to give him massages. His bodyguard, H.H., who was with him, is also a friend of ours who was subjected to Mustafa Sarıgül's physical assaults. Because Mustafa Sarıgül was the mayor at the time and a powerful politician, everyone was afraid of him. He would call his employees to his office and then into the bedroom located at the back of the office. There was a shower cabin and a bed in the bedroom, and he would have the people he called inside give him massages. My friend H. and I would go in together and give him massages. In a way, we had to give massages.”
“TOUCH, CHILDREN, TOUCH, COME ON NOW”
Stating that Sarıgül used certain expressions when they entered his office, C.D. claimed that they complied due to their young age and fear of losing their jobs.
C.D. used the following expressions in his testimony:
“When we entered the room, he would say, ‘Touch, children, touch, come on now.’ Because we were young and feared we wouldn't be able to find other work, we did what he said. We believed his promises because Mustafa Sarıgül presented high school students as role models at the youth camp. I did not enjoy giving him massages.”
HE ALLEGED THAT HE SENT EMPLOYEES TO OTHER POSITIONS BY “ESTABLISHING AN EMPIRE OF FEAR”
C.D. claimed that employees who did not fulfill Sarıgül's demands were assigned to different duties. Claiming that these individuals were sent to positions he described as exile, C.D. said, “Mustafa Sarıgül, so to speak, established an empire of fear and would directly assign those who did not meet his demands to positions we called exile.”
HE RELAYED WHAT A CLEANING WORKER TOLD HIM
C.D. also alleged that a cleaning worker named M., who he stated worked with Sarıgül, told him about certain incidents. Stating that M. came to him one day looking sad and said she no longer wanted to work, C.D. included the following allegations in his testimony:
“The woman named M. came to me looking sad at that time. She also resided in Mecidiyeköy. She said in a sad way that she no longer had the strength to endure and did not want to work. She said that Mustafa Sarıgül forced her to have sexual intercourse with B.Ö. by giving her mandatory instructions, and that he watched from the door when B.Ö. and M. had sexual intercourse.”
DETENTION ORDERS FOR 10 MORE PEOPLE IN THE INVESTIGATION
It was stated that detention orders were issued for 10 more people as part of the investigation. Those for whom orders were issued include A.S., who is said to be responsible for the Şişli Municipality youth camps, two of Sarıgül's close bodyguards, a person working as a barber in Ankara, two sisters who were allegedly abused in the past, and a cleaning worker who is claimed to be linked to the recording of the footage.
News Source: İHA
