A former justice minister of Turkey, Bekir Bozdağ, has been accused of accepting bribes to help an inmate get early release from prison, according to wiretaps of the inmate’s phone calls with the police. The news was reported by Turkish Minute on Friday, citing the Halk TV news website.
Serdar Sertçelik, a secret witness in the trial of organized crime boss Ayhan Bora Kaplan, claimed that Bekir Bozdag was involved in securing his early release. Sertçelik also accused several police chiefs of corruption, which led to their arrest. In the recorded conversations, Sertçelik stated that he paid €400,000 to a law office associated with Bozdag through his lawyer. This payment was allegedly made to facilitate a retrial, which resulted in Sertçelik’s early release after only five months instead of the 30 months he was initially sentenced to serve. “Bekir Bozdag has a law firm through which he handles outside cases. I paid €400,000 to Bozdag’s law firm. We got a retrial. I was supposed to serve 30 months in prison. I was released after five months,” Sertçelik said in one of the recordings.
ertçelik alleged that he was pressured to implicate key associates of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, including former justice ministers Bekir Bozdag and Abdülhamit Gül, former interior minister Süleyman Soylu, and other prominent figures. The allegations against Bozdag were part of a broader investigation into the activities of Ayhan Bora Kaplan. Kaplan is accused of running a criminal organization involved in various crimes such as armed robbery, torture, and drug trafficking. Kaplan’s network allegedly had connections with high-ranking officials, including protection from law enforcement in exchange for financial favors. The investigation, led by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, has resulted in multiple arrests, including high-ranking police officials.
Following the emergence of these allegations, Bozdag issued a press statement denying the claims. He said that if anyone could prove the allegations to be true, he would give them all his money. “These allegations made by Serdar Sertçelik are a blatant lie aimed at defaming me. I declare here that if anyone can prove these slanderous claims, I will give them all the money I have,” Bozdag said. He also announced that he had filed a complaint through his lawyer with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, seeking the prosecution of those responsible for the allegations. The investigation has highlighted ongoing power struggles between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Former interior minister Süleyman Soylu has denied all allegations of involvement with Kaplan’s network. Meanwhile, Halkbank, a state lender implicated in providing substantial loans to companies linked to Kaplan, has sought legal action to censor reports on the matter. The Kaplan investigation continues to unfold, revealing systemic corruption within Turkey’s politics and law enforcement.
Source: Turkish Minute
