Controversial Purchase of Municipal Residence Unveiled
Key Points:
-
Document Revelation: A document revealing the sale of a municipal residence to Yüksel Kocaman, former Ankara Chief Prosecutor and incumbent member of the Court of Cassation, has surfaced, raising questions about the transaction’s legality and propriety. The residence, sold through the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality’s subsidiary ANFA, was priced at 626,000 Turkish Lira.
-
Political Exposure: CHP Ankara MP Murat Emir brought the issue to light during a speech in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM). The document, dated March 25, 2019, and obtained by T24, confirms the sale of the residence, originally allocated to the Ministry of Justice, to Kocaman.
An Unusual Sale Method
-
Methodology: The sale was conducted through an unusual method termed as “hülle (fraus legi facta)” indicating a potentially illegitimate or deceptive transaction. According to Emir, during Melih Gökçek’s tenure as Mayor of Ankara, the residence was allocated to the Ministry of Justice. It was then transferred to ANFA to facilitate its sale to Kocaman.
-
Council Decision: On August 9, 2018, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipal Council decided to remove the residence at 15 Piyade Street, Aziziye District, Çankaya, from its designated status and approve its sale.
Sale Without Auction
-
Transaction Details: Following the council’s decision, the property was transferred to ANFA for sale without an auction. Approximately eight months later, the property was sold to Kocaman for 626,000 lira.
-
Rapid Approval: The sale approval, prepared by ANFA, noted that Kocaman had requested the purchase via a petition dated March 22, 2019. His request was processed and finalized by ANFA management within three days.
-
Same-Day Signatures: The approval document, prepared by ANFA’s Purchasing Directorate and submitted to the general directorate, bore the signatures of three officials: Deputy Purchasing Director Levent Uzun, Deputy General Manager Mustafa Yılmaz, and General Manager Erdal Türk, all signed on the same day, March 25, 2019.
Suspicious Timing
-
Election Context: The sale took place just six days before the 31 March 2019 local elections, in which the current mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavaş, won against the then incumbent mayor of the ruling AKP. This timing has further fuelled suspicions about the deal.
-
Calls for Investigation: The revelation has prompted calls for a thorough investigation into the sale’s legality and the procedures followed, aiming to ensure transparency and accountability in municipal property transactions.
New Revelations About His Ties with Drug Boss Ayhan Bora Kaplan
- Police Report: A police report sent to judicial authorities on April 24, 2024, supports allegations that mobster Ayhan Bora Kaplan paid for the interior design of Kocaman’s villa.
Who is Yüksel Kocaman?
- Career Overview: Kocaman served as Ankara’s Chief Public Prosecutor from January 2017 to November 2020. His tenure was marked by significant political trials and controversies. He played a key role in the re-arrest of Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş, defying an order from the European Court of Human Rights. He also faced criticism for flouting COVID-19 regulations during his wedding, traveling to President Erdoğan’s palace, and later enjoying a lavish honeymoon. Kocaman is now a member of Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals.
Further revelations about this can be found in the articles below:
-
Obstruction of Justice: Allegations of obstruction of justice in a murder investigation.
-
Receiving Bribes: Allegations of receiving large bribes from a drug boss in exchange for non-prosecution decisions.
Revelations continue to emerge about the corrupt practices of former Ankara Chief Prosecutor Yüksel Kocaman. A newly surfaced document exposes the suspicious sale of a municipal residence to Kocaman. Further allegations link Kocaman to mobster Ayhan Bora Kaplan, suggesting the latter financed the interior design of Kocaman’s villa.
Revelations continue to emerge about the corrupt practices of former Ankara Chief Prosecutor Yüksel Kocaman. A newly surfaced document exposes the suspicious sale of a municipal residence to Kocaman. Further allegations link Kocaman to mobster Ayhan Bora Kaplan, suggesting the latter financed the interior design of Kocaman’s villa.
Mobster exposes deep rot in the Turkish judiciary
A mobster who admitted to bribing chief prosecutor and police chiefs exposes deep rot in the Turkish judiciary.
Corruption allegations about senior Turkish judge do not die down
Former top prosecutor Kocaman is now accused of obstructing a murder investigation in favour of a wealthy businessman and his son, who allegedly spent a staggering 30 million Turkish Liras to get away with murder.
Categories: Turkey Human Rights Blog