Fatih Keleş, president of the Istanbul municipality’s sports club, has denied recent allegations that appeared in Sabah newspaper alleging he had ordered the killing of businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş. Aktaş is a key witness in ongoing investigations against the opposition-controlled Istanbul mınicipality.
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| Imprisoned Istanbul sports director denies allegation he ordered killing of witness Imprisoned Istanbul sports director denies allegation he ordered killing of witness |
Keleş has been in detention since March as part of a series of arrests targeting municipal officials in Istanbul, amid a wider investigation by prosecutors into alleged corruption and organized crime within the municipality. Following Keleş’s arrest, his brother, son, and nephew were also detained, though Keleş has insisted that none of them have committed any crimes.
In a statement released on August 17, Keleş described the Sabah report as containing “fantastical allegations,” adding: “Neither myself nor my lawyers know the individuals named in the report, nor do we have any animosity toward them.” He said he was only familiar with Aktaş and another businessman, Selahattin Yılmaz, through media coverage.
Keleş also said that lawyers representing another detained figure, Adem Soytekin, had visited him in prison and pressured him to cooperate with the authorities in exchange for potential leniency, a practice in Turkey known as etkin pişmanlık (“effective remorse”). Keleş said he refused to make any false confessions or accusations.
He added that he had been under intense pressure since his detention, with authorities reportedly seizing his assets and detaining close family members, while the media published multiple reports suggesting he had cooperated with investigators—claims he denies.
Keleş concluded by calling for an independent trial and urging the public to remain aware of what he described as a “systematic effort to discredit” him and others involved.
Allegations of coercion and corruption
The controversy surrounding Keleş’s case has intensified following allegations made by CHP leader Özgür Özel. Özel accused Mücahit Birinci, a former senior figure in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a lawyer, of attempting to coerce jailed businessman Murat Kapki into giving false testimony. According to Özel, Birinci offered to arrange Kapki’s release in exchange for a fabricated statement implicating opposition figures and a bribe of $2 million. Kapki has reportedly filed a criminal complaint against Birinci, documenting the alleged incident.
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In response, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç dismissed Özel’s claims as baseless and part of a broader campaign to discredit ongoing corruption probes targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and other CHP-run administrations.
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
