Three board members of Istanbul-based construction contractor group Yapi Merkezi Insaat have delivered confessions serving as evidence for the prosecution in the investigation mounted against the so-called “Imamoglu Crime Syndicate” supposedly led by jailed chief political rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, government-run news service Anadolu Agency reported on June 4.

The trio, namely Mustafa Basar Arioglu (board chairman), Erdem Arioglu (vice chairman) and S. Ozge Arioglu (board member), were detained on May 23 in the fourth detention wave conducted against the alleged syndicate.

They were then released on June 4 after becoming witnesses.

Utterly bogus, say critics

The Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office is conducting the investigation – described as utterly bogus by regime critics – that was launched on March 19. Erdogan talks of the claimed criminal organisation as resembling an “octopus” with many tentacles.

So far, five detention waves have been executed.

Kirazli-Halkali metro project

The bosses of Yapi Merkezi provided the prosecutors with statements on the Kirazli-Halkali metro project in Istanbul, according to Anadolu.

As a result, the prosecutors decided that they should be rewarded by being released.

Among regime’s leading contractors

Yapi Merkezi is among the leading contractors of the Erdogan regime that carry out Turkey’s controversial public-private-partnership (PPP) projects.

It is among the contractors behind the 1915 Canakkale Bridge and the Eurasia Tunnel, 

The company is also active in countries across three continents, namely Europe (including Bosnia, Slovenia and Hungary), Asia (including UAE and Saudi Arabia) and Africa (including Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania).

Yapi Merkezi was ranked the 82nd largest contractor in the world and the fourth largest contractor in Turkey on the Engineering News Record (ENR) Top International Contractors 2024 list.

Owner of Nuhoglu Insaat also turned witness

On June 5, Anadolu reported that businessman Ali Nuhoglu and Suleyman Atik, owner of Otto Akilli Sehircilik Istihdam, were also released after turning into witnesses that provided confessions.

On March 25, the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, using a local court order, seized Trend Insaat and Nuhoglu Insaat owned by Ali Nuhoglu.

So far, no further information has been provided as to the current status of Nuhoglu’s companies since he turned witness.

Nuhoglu applied to the prosecutors on June 1 and June 4 to turn witness while Atik applied on May 13, May 31 and June 4.

Both men have reportedly provided the prosecutors with “tangible” information on the “syndicate”.

Istanbul Municipality’s sets up X account to rebut circulated allegations

Allegations propose that Nuhoglu bribed Imamoglu by directly providing him with cash as well as by providing Imamoglu Insaat, a real estate developer owned by the Imamoglu family, with two villas.

Both Nuhoglu and Atik were detained in the first wave of detentions in the Imamoglu operation executed on March 19, the day Imamoglu was taken into custody. After spending a couple of months in jail, they stated that they bribed Imamoglu.

Istanbul Municipality (IBB) has denied all the allegations that have emerged. The municipality (@istanbulbld) has an X account entitled IBB Tekzip (IBB Disclaimer/@ibbtekzip) that is used to publish denials of the accusations circulated by the Istanbul prosecutor’s office via government media.

Enlightenment in jail

Seyhmus Sariboga, who on May 28 applied to turn witness, experienced a similar enlightenment in jail.

“Although I previously said in my first statement that the Seyhmus mentioned by Ahmet Cicek, owner of ad agency Neva Reklamcilik, was not me, I may have filed such a statement due to nervous excitement. I am the Seyhmus mentioned by Ahmet Cicek in his statement,” he told  prosecutors.

Raining witnesses, 24 so far…

Local daily Hurriyet reported on June 5 following the releasing of Nuhoglu and Atik that the number of witnesses that have provided confessions in the syndicate investigation stood at 24.

Murat Ilbak, Huseyin Kum, Taner Gumus, Murat Biyik, Kadir Gumus, Altan Gozcu, Servet Yildirim, Aziz Ihsan Aktas, Mustafa Mutlu, Seyfi Beyaz (owner of Beyaz Insaat), Eyup Subasi, Kabil Tasci, Gungor Gurman, Murat Abbas, Ertan Yildiz, Ahmet Cicek, Noyan Kirmizigul are among the witnesses.