Former Justice Minister Bozdağ denies bribery allegations

Duvar English

In his column on July 12, journalist İsmail Saymaz reported a bribery allegation against Turkey’s former Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ. 

The allegation involves Serdar Sertçelik, a suspect and secret witness in the case of Ayhan Bora Kaplan’s crime syndicate. Last month, Sertçelik was caught in Hungary after fleeing Turkey despite being under house arrest.

According to Saymaz, the indictment of the Kaplan case included new phone calls from Sertçelik. 

In a phone call on April 26, 2024, Sertçelik says he paid 400,000 Euros to a law firm linked to Bekir Bozdağ through his lawyer İ.Y. when he was an escapee and that his case was overturned. 

“Bozdağ was the Justice Minister at the time. He had a law office. Bozdağ called (lawyer) İ. to the parliament. 'We're going to a group meeting, let's meet'. İ. went and talked to him. At that time I gave 400,000 Euros to Bozdağ's law office. They overturned my file,” he said.

In another phone call, Sertçelik says “İ.Y. spoke to Bozdağ next to me. Then he went to the parliament, and they met. They asked for 400,000 Euros, I gave it to them. Then I was caught. I went to prison, I was released in the fifth month.”

Journalist Saymaz said the allegations were cited in the indictment without being investigated. “I did what the prosecutor did not do. I reached out to the former Justice Minister's circle and asked about the allegations. They say Bozdağ is being slandered. If the allegations are true, why are they not investigated? If it is slander, why is it put in the indictment, and Bozdağ is slandered?”

In a written statement on July 12, Bozdağ denied the allegations. “The allegations made by Serdar Sertçelik are a blatant slander against me. I hereby openly declare that whoever proves that this slander is true, I undertake to donate all my assets to him in front of the respected Turkish public opinion. I have filed a criminal complaint to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office through my lawyer to investigate the slanders against me.”

Bozdağ is currently a deputy from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), and Deputy Parliament Speaker.

Ayhan Bora Kaplan case

Kaplan was arrested on charges of leading an organized crime group shortly after his attempt to leave the country was thwarted in September. The crime syndicate reportedly was close to former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and the organization became stronger during his term.

The case is seen as a rift between Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on the one hand, and the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on the other.

Yerlikaya's camp claims that the investigation is targeting criminal organizations and people linked to them.

Some high-ranking police officers have been arrested for involving in the syndicate, some for being in charge of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan operation.

Some other high-ranking officers have been arrested after being in charge of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan operation. 

Sertçelik, who was accused of being the crime syndicate’s executive, was able to flee Turkey while being under house arrest. He told journalist Erk Acarer that some police officers helped him to escape.