95th hearing of the 'İmamoğlu crime organization for profit' case: Tuğrul Doğu Işık and Binali Sarıtaş made their defense

At the hearing held by the Istanbul 33rd High Criminal Court in the hall opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution, Tuğrul Doğu Işık, who was tried without arrest, made his defense.

Işık stated that he wanted to make a short addition to the statement he gave at the prosecutor's office after his request with the petition and said, "First of all, I did not think that the document in question was an official document. I still do not think so. Secondly, the writing there belongs to me, but the signatures and stamp do not belong to me. I repeat my statement at the prosecutor's office. I want my acquittal and my ban from abroad to be lifted." he said. The unarrested defendant, Binali Sarıtaş, said that he won the tender for Ağaç AŞ, which he entered in 2023, by submitting the most suitable bid.

Sarıtaş claimed that he could not receive the regular payments he deserved after the delivery of the materials, and said: "Thereupon, Ümit Polat called me and declared to me that I could receive (payments) in return if I brought gift and aid cards. So, I took the clothing and market cards and delivered them to Mr. Ümit. When I gave them, I do not know where he used them. Then, another tender was held by Ağaç AŞ in 2023. I won the tender. After this tender, Ümit Polat called me and Ali He said that Sukas wanted 10 percent of the tender price. I said, "I can't do that, I have to give the best price anyway." He said that I had to give 10 percent to Ali Sukas in order to get more work or to gain an unfair advantage for myself. I was in a difficult financial situation during this period, and I had to collect my receivables for the work I had done and delivered, so I accepted his request. "I prepared a sum of 4.5 million liras to Ali Sukas and took it to Sukas's office. Dear President, first of all, I would like to point out that I did not give this money in return for arranging any tender, leaving the tender to me, or giving more work. I gave it to get the money in return for the products I submitted and participated in by bidding."