Details of the investigation launched upon allegations that some tenders held in Esenyurt Municipality were organized to be awarded to certain companies and that money was requested from the companies that won the tenders in return for progress payments were revealed.
20 PERCENT BRIBERY SYSTEM IN TENDERS
According to the information in the investigation file, it was claimed that the companies that won the tenders were asked to pay an average of 20 percent of the progress fees. It was stated that the witnesses who testified within the scope of the file made mutually supporting statements regarding the tender and progress payment processes in the municipality.
'I PAID 9 MILLION TL IN THE OFFICE ROOM'
Halil Yılmaz, whose statement was referred to in the file, said that Yusuf Ulutaş demanded a total of 9 million TL from him in order to collect the progress payments he would receive from the municipality. Yılmaz declared that he delivered the said amount in Ulutaş's office on two different dates. Orhan Yıldırım, whose statement was taken during the investigation, brought up a similar claim. Yıldırım stated that Ulutaş asked for money 3 or 4 times in order to receive progress payments, and gave a total of 300 to 400 thousand dollars in his office. Yıldırım also stated that he last delivered 100 thousand dollars directly to Yusuf Ulutaş at the end of September.
3 MILLION TL MONEY DELIVERY IN PASTRY SHOP
In a voice recording submitted to the investigation file, there were allegations regarding another money delivery. It was stated that in the audio recording of Erhan Toprak, the owner of the company named Topraköz, he explained that he delivered 3 million TL to the nephew of ASM Construction official Salih Yılmaz at the Seyrantepe Patisserie in Esenyurt in order to receive the progress payments. It was determined that the progress payments were deposited into Toprak's account after the money was delivered and Salih Yılmaz informed him in advance that the payment would be made. Suspect Ümit Ünal stated in his statement that Erhan Toprak told him about the money delivery in question many times and that the money was eventually delivered to Yusuf Ulutaş.
PROGRESS PAYMENT PAID, 20 PERCENT WAS WITHDRAWED IN CASH
One of the most striking parts of the investigation was the investigations into the bank accounts of the company named Namık Çebi İnşaat. During the financial investigations, it was determined that the amounts corresponding to approximately 20 percent of the money deposited into the company accounts after the progress payments were made by the municipality were withdrawn in cash, most of the time on the same day or the next day. In the file, cash withdrawals amounting to 2 million 100 thousand TL after a progress payment of 10 million TL and 1 million 125 thousand TL after a progress payment of 5 million TL were included as examples.
It was determined that company employees Doğancan Güzel, Cemalettin Çağlayan and Harun Berber, and Namık Çebi, who withdrew the money, gave signals from the same base stations as Anıl Alioğlu, who was alleged to have mediated the delivery of bribe money to Yusuf Ulutaş, shortly after the withdrawal process.
'I DELIVERED THE MONEY I RECEIVED IN ENVELOPES'
The statement of suspect Anıl Alioğlu was also among the important statements included in the investigation file. Alioğlu explained that he received money in envelopes many times from people affiliated with Namık Çebi İnşaat to be delivered to Yusuf Ulutaş and that he delivered these money to İbrahim Doğancıoğlu. Alioğlu also said that Ulutaş demanded money not only from this company but also from other companies. He stated that he saw that the envelope full of money brought by another company was delivered to İbrahim Doğancıoğlu to be delivered to Ulutaş.
CASH WITH MARKET SHOPPING CARDS
Another striking detail of the investigation was included in Anıl Alioğlu's statement. Alioğlu said that Yusuf Ulutaş requested shopping cards for chain markets such as A101, BİM and FİLE from some companies and gave them to İbrahim Doğancıoğlu. According to the statement, the shopping cards in question were later given to Namık Çebi İnşaat and some other companies and cash was obtained in return. It was stated that these allegations and card movements were examined within the scope of the investigation.
COMPUTER DETAILS IN BRIBERY CLAIMS
Another claim in the file is that Ziya Köklü, the owner of the company named Ekim Peyzaj, provided Yusuf Ulutaş with a laptop in addition to money. In his statement, Köklü stated that he bought the computers from Eyüp Mücahit Gülmez.
Gülmez submitted the invoices regarding the computers and WhatsApp correspondence to the investigation file. In his statement, he stated that Yusuf Ulutaş's phone number was sent to him for the delivery of the computers, and after meeting with Ulutaş, he delivered the computers to the municipal employee directed by him.
PHONE TAPINGS ARE ENTERED INTO THE FILE
Within the scope of the investigation, communication monitoring measures were implemented against the suspects in accordance with Article 135 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It was stated that 7 separate phone call records obtained in this context were included in the investigation file.
It was evaluated that the meetings in question included conversations about bribery allegations and money relations in the municipality.
IN MASAK REPORT, INCREASE IN MONEY TRANSFER: 231 MILLION TL IN 2025
In the report prepared by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), money transfer movements in Yusuf Ulutaş's bank accounts were also scrutinized. According to the report, Ulutaş's money transfer transaction volume, which was 601 thousand 619 TL in 2017, increased to 1 million 73 thousand 514 TL in 2018.
The transaction volume, which was at an average annual level of 400 thousand TL in the 2019-2021 period, exceeded 10 million TL in 2022. The transaction volume, which was 8.5 million TL in 2023 and 10.6 million TL in 2024, increased to 231 million 26 thousand 362 TL in 2025. It was recorded that there was a transaction volume of 7 million 278 thousand 151 TL until the date of preparation of the report in 2026.
MONEY MOVEMENT OF 212 MILLION TL IN HIS SISTER'S ACCOUNT
One of the striking findings of the MASAK report was the financial transactions between Yusuf Ulutaş and his sister Tuba Ulutaş Şenyürek. In the report, it was stated that Ulutaş's counterparty with the highest transaction volume was his sister Tuba Ulutaş Şenyürek with 212 million 155 thousand 533 TL. It was determined that the money entering Şenyürek's account was generally deposited in cash by Yusuf Ulutaş, and then withdrawn in cash by Şenyürek. In addition, it was determined that a money transfer of 15 million TL was made regarding an independent section located in Bakırköy Şenlik District on June 17, 2025.
It was stated in the MASAK report that there were evaluations that the real estate in question could be linked to the proceeds of crime and could serve the purpose of hiding the source of money movements. It was noted that the known income of Şenyürek, who is said to work for Turkish Airlines, is not proportional to the money movements in his accounts.
'24 YEARS OF MY EXPERIENCE AS A LAWYER' DEFENSE
Yusuf Ulutaş, whose statement was taken within the scope of the investigation, made a statement denying the allegations regarding the money movements and assets in his accounts. Ulutaş argued that the money in question was his savings from his 24-year career as a lawyer. He said that he provided legal consultancy services to some people and received money in return, and that his wife's family was wealthy and that he managed their money. Ulutaş stated that he deposited his savings in banks to utilize them, then withdrew some of them and used them for payments, and kept the remaining amounts at his home.
Stating that his father-in-law plans to buy two houses within the scope of urban transformation for 400 thousand dollars and therefore will give him the money in question, Ulutaş also stated that he allocated 2 million 500 thousand TL for title deed expenses.
450 THOUSAND DOLLARS, JEWELERY AND ROLEX WATCHES WERE FOUND FROM HIS HOUSE
As part of the investigation, a large amount of cash and many valuable items were seized during the search carried out at Yusuf Ulutaş's residence on October 7, 2026. In search; 450 thousand 854 US dollars, 31 thousand 815 euros, 2 million 580 thousand TL, 35 bracelets, 36 necklaces, 42 earrings and 17 rings, 26 pearls, 9 bracelets, 4 watches and 4 pendants, 1 full gold coin, 6 ata lira and various gold or gold-looking items and 2 Rolex brand watches were seized. It is being investigated whether there is a connection between the source of the seized cash and jewelery and the tender and progress payments subject to the investigation.
MONEY TRAFFIC IS UNDER THE CLOSURE IN THE INVESTIGATION
