5 Million Dollar 'Business Tracking' Claim and Digital Correspondence

In the messages contained in the digital materials, a $5 million "business follow-up" was discussed in order to obtain results in the Forensic Medicine process in favor of Muhittin Böcek. Since the process could not be concluded in the correspondence, this time the issue of taking back the money given came to the agenda. It was determined that in one message, addressed to Mustafa Erdem, the following words were used: "Dear deputy, you defrauded me, for 5 million dollars..."

While Murat Etöz's name was also mentioned in the message traffic, it was seen that there were discussions between the parties regarding the fate and repayment of 5 million dollars. It was determined that there were also statements in the correspondence that the issue would be conveyed to the party management and the media.

In line with the correspondence reflected in the investigation file, the source of the 5 million dollars, who gave the money and to whom it was delivered, whether any attempts were made during the Forensic Medicine process, and whether the money was returned after the work was not completed are being investigated. In this context, it is expected to compare digital records, as well as bank movements, money transfers, HTS records and communication traffic between the parties.

Mustafa Erdem's name was also found in the WhatsApp group called "Bacanaklar" on Arda Birinci's phone. In the correspondence dated April 17, 2024, it was seen that the message "We are going to gamble" was sent from the account registered as "Mustafa Erdem CHP Antalya Deputy" on the phone. It was determined that after the message, a photo of a table with poker chips was shared, followed by the words "Tell me 5000 and I'll come" and "You are loved, young people". It can be seen that the phrase "CHP Antalya Deputy" here is the name Erdem is registered in the phone book in the digital material, and Erdem is listed as the New Party Antalya Deputy in the current Turkish Grand National Assembly records.

In Arda Biri's digital materials, intimate photographs with Ayhan Bora Kaplan and the fugitive defendant lawyer Cengiz Haliç, for whom an arrest warrant was issued, were also found. While it is seen in the images that Biri is posing closely with Kaplan and Haliç, it was learned that when and where the photographs were taken and the nature of the relationship between the parties are being investigated. While Murat Etöz's name was also mentioned in the digital investigations, Etöz's position in the $5 million money traffic and his connections with other suspects were examined. It was stated that Biri's correspondence with some politicians and public officials regarding the recruitment of women was also detected, and that the links in the investigation were aimed to be revealed by comparing phone traffic, message records and financial movements.