Murat Abbas
"I was abroad on March 8. Our group manager Banu Saraçlar called me and said, 'There is activity here, we are meeting tomorrow.' I went to Kültür A.Ş. on March 9. At the meeting, it was said that there might be an operation against the municipality and everyone should 'unite'. When Murat Ongun, Fatih Keleş and Ertan Yıldız were asked, we were asked to say that they were all just consultants or council members and that we did not have any other information. We were asked to give power of attorney to the lawyers determined by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and through a single group of lawyers. Pressure was applied to make a joint defense. They told us to issue a power of attorney to the lawyers they named at this meeting. I also issued a power of attorney to the lawyer whose name was given to me. This lawyer took part in the statement I gave at the police station and during my interrogation at the courthouse. The lawyers of the other suspects, who were municipal employees, were determined at this meeting.
After this investigation file was revealed, on the evening of the meeting I mentioned on March 9th, when I realized the seriousness of the incident, I asked my deputy general manager, Doğan Hamit Doğruer, to tell me what he knew, that Murat Ongun personally managed the procurement of these irregular tenders, that he and Kaan Sürmegöz and the tenders were organized according to Murat Ongun's instructions, that tender preparations were made by determining in advance who would win the tenders and who would make side bids, and also about the irregular fine collections in the file and "He himself told me that the matters in the deposit report regarding the fraudulent contracts signed regarding the money openly requested for the granting of advertising permission, the graphic design fee, the drone issue, etc. were true, and that contrary works and transactions were carried out illegally."
UNOFFICIAL EXPENDITURE OF 43 MILLION TL
Murat Abbas, who also admitted that irregular budget games were made during the Digital Experience Museum process, explained the details of the 43 million TL scandal that was unofficially inserted into the budget. Abbas; He stated that a total expenditure of 43 million TL, including 22 million TL for labor, 8 million TL for glass costs, 7 million TL for ventilation-roofing and 6 million TL for personal payments, was unofficially budgeted. The hearing prosecutor asked, "How was this money included in the budget?" In response to the question, Abbas said, "The tenders were made in the form of purchasing goods. As the Court of Accounts criticized, these unofficial costs were included in the invoices by increasing the unit prices of the purchased goods." Abbas claimed that he was only aware of the 29 million part of this 43 million TL table, consisting of labor and ventilation, and that he learned the remaining items later.
Ertan Yıldız and İmamoğlu
38 MILLION DEFICIT SCANDAL AT DDM: "MURAT ONGUN SAID 'WE WILL HAVE THE SUBCONTRACTORS DEAL WITH IT'"
Answering the questions about the irregularities and price differences revealed in the Court of Accounts audits, Murat Abbas stated that they wanted to cover up the exorbitant difference of 38 million TL detected in the Digital Experience Museum (DDM) budget. Upon the warning of the Court of Accounts auditor, Kültür A.Ş. Stating that he had an investigation carried out within the budget, Abbas stated that they detected a deficit of 38 million TL between what should have been in the budget and what was realized. Abbas stated that he met with Murat Ongun, Ertan Yıldız and the group presidents many times to resolve the situation, and that he requested that this money be returned to Kültür A.Ş. by the subcontractors. The hearing prosecutor asked "Who suggested this solution?" Abbas answered the question: "What Murat Ongun said was 'We will handle this with subcontractors.'" He stated that Murat Ongun directed him to Muhittin Palazoğlu in order to prevent the Court of Accounts report, and although Palazoğlu said "I will handle it", the issue could not be resolved.
13 MILLION 250 THOUSAND TL WAS REQUESTED FROM THE MUSEUM'S CONTRACTOR COMPANY
Abbas stated that the project was initiated by Murat Ongun and the Communication Coordinator before the local elections and explained the unofficial money demands and budget manipulations; He reminded that the museum's contractor Tuce company was asked for 10 million TL election fund, 2 million TL support for the CHP Zeytinburnu Mayor candidate and 1 million 250 thousand TL for the food expenses of the election workers. On the other hand, Abbas; He noted that unofficial expenditures of tens of millions of lira, consisting of labor, ventilation, roofing and other items, were included in the tender budgets by increasing the unit prices in the goods procurement tenders. Abbas also stated that he applied to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Inspection Board at the end of 2024 and requested examination and inspection upon question marks in the project, and stated that the contractor firm's partner Cem Çelik sent blackmail and threatening messages.
PRE-ELECTION ADVERTISING BUDGET OF 10 MILLION PER COMPANY AND RAMADAN CARD PRINTING
Abbas, who also explained the advertising and aid card operations carried out through IMM subsidiaries upon the prosecutor's questions, said that the general managers of the subsidiaries, who met under the chairmanship of Ertan Yıldız before the 2024 local elections, were instructed to allocate an advertising budget of 5 to 10 million TL, depending on the financial situation of each company, and to transfer these budgets to advertising companies. Abbas additionally declared that before the religious holidays, Ramadan aid cards were collected from subcontractor companies upon the instructions of the group heads and these cards were delivered to the group heads.
DEPARTMENT ON PAPER, 'ONGUN' IN THE BACKGROUND
Culture Inc. He noted that the Planning and Organization Department, which appears to be under the general manager in the organizational chart, remained entirely on paper, was actually managed by the Communications Coordination Department in Sütlüce, headed by Murat Ongun, and that he had no administrative authority over this unit. Abbas said, "When you look at the organizational chart, it is affiliated with Kültür AŞ. It is headed by Barış Kılıç, but Barış Kılıç is someone who works entirely in the communications coordinator in Sütlüce and is a manager there. There is absolutely no such thing as if he was working at Kültür AŞ in an organic managerial way rather than officially. We have a meeting with the managers and chiefs every week for four and a half years, and there is also a content meeting. Everyone comes here without exception, except for sickness or travel, and on leave. "Managers and managers attend. During these four and a half years, Barış Kılıç was never present at our meeting," he said.
"I HAVE BEEN UNDER HOUSE ARREST FOR 18 MONTHS, I WANT MY ACQUITTAL"
At the end of his defense, Abbas denied the 21 separate charges against him and claimed that he was not a member of the commissions and that he signed the documents presented to him as a matter of administrative procedure; He said, "I have been under house arrest for 18 months. I have been renting in Beşiktaş for 28 years, I do not own any real estate. I have to work to make a living," and asked for his acquittal and the removal of judicial control measures.
