Ankara and Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices Record Witness Statements: FETÖ Allegations in Kuriş Investigation

Witness statements have been entered into the files of the 'Alihan Kuriş organized crime for profit' investigation conducted by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the investigation by Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the death of former Transport Minister Arif Ahmet Denizolgun.

Businessman M.K., who testified as a witness in the Ankara investigation, recounted that he met with Denizolgun shortly before the December 17–25, 2013 period. According to M.K., Denizolgun told him that he had received a letter from Fetullah Gülen containing an offer to 'act together in the coming process'; Denizolgun's response was 'We stand by our state.' M.K. linked the launch of the December 17–25 operations shortly thereafter to this exchange.

In the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office investigation, witness Y.K. claimed that Alihan Kuriş had aspired to the leadership of the community and harbored doubts that Denizolgun's death was natural. A separate witness, R.Ş., also provided testimony supporting the claim that Kuriş had acted with an expectation of assuming that leadership.

Denizolgun was the former head of the Süleymancı community, and his death had previously been the subject of an investigation; however, at that time no witness had placed an allegation of a FETÖ connection on the record so directly. Habertürk reported that the information was obtained from judicial sources.