A far-fetched report from MASAK: Since you laid down the floors, then you are from FETÖ

The MASAK report that investigated the money trail was prepared and included in the claims against our 17 (11 detained) Cumhuriyet colleagues on August 24, 2016. In this report, investigation of whether our Editor in Chief Ibrahim Yildiz and subsequently Can Dundar who took this position after 2014, our columnist Aydin Engin, and authorized signatory members of the Board of Directors for the Cumhuriyet Foundation had any financial ties to FETÖ and PKK (Kurdistan Worker’s Party). Aydin Engin was included into the list in the MASAK report since he was the Editor in Chief and was a authorized signatory. They could not find anything to point to any relations with FETÖ and PKK but they tried to establish some ties and came up with made up allegations.

2000 People as Possible Suspects

As a result of the investigation into the finances of our columnist Aydin Engin, a report on a money transfer made to a travel agency shows the logic behind their “analysis”:

“As a result of the investigation made by MASAK, on the company with initials, “G.T.”, it was found out that according to the report sent to Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor for Crimes Committed Against Constitutional Order Bureau of Investigation on March 9, 2015, this company had financial relations with another company owned by “S.A”, which is one of the companies that made money transfers through international ATMs, EFT and direct cash transactions.”

In summary, MASAK stated to Aydin Engin that “the travel agency to which you paid for your vacation, also has financial relations with “S.A.”’s company. You may not know “S.A” but since you paid money to the same travel agency, you have relations with FETÖ.”

We are not revealing the name of this travel agency that is very well-known assuming their innocence. Since this agency worked with nearly 2000 people in 2016, it is possible to view these 2000 people as suspects.

According to this outlook, we need to check the background of any dual-listed company one deals with and determine if they are “clean” according to MASLAK.

Note to the reader: you must get a “cleanlines report” before having any dealings with those dual-listed companies placing pages of advertisements in the newspapers.

To have the hardwood floors done

Our Chief Executive Officer, Akin Atalay, was asked about a 2500 TL (Turkish Lira) payment during his investigation and he answered that his money was to pay for the work done on his hardwood floors. According to the MASAK report, this money was tied to FETÖ in the following way: It was shown that ATAlay paid 2500 TL with EFT to H.A. The results of the investigation by MASLAK on H.A. is as follows:

“The report on H.A.’s son A. by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor for Crimes Committed Against Constitutional Order Bureau of Investigation on March 9, 2015, shows that there was also financial relations with S.A. through international ATMS, EFT, and direct money transfers. “

In summary, MASAK told Atalay that: “You paid money to H.A., the person who worked on your hardwood floors. This person’s son is selling goods to S.A’s company who is directly invovled with FETÖ. Hence, you are also connected to FETÖ.”

Note to reader: If you have work done on your hardwood floors, you need to know the other customers and know the details of their investigation records.

Payment (!) worth 345 Turkish Liras

MASAK identified an electronic fund transfer worth 345 Turkish Liras made by our administrator Onder Celik to an individual Y.M. MASAK’s further investigation questioned whether the insurance company that employed this individual in the period of 2006-2009 was is in contact with any foundations or organizations that are affiliated with FETO, and concluded that it did. In other words, MASAK accuses Celik for conducting a money transfer (which is less than $100) to an individual who allegedly worked at a company that had connections with organization that are affiliated with FETO. By doing that, MASAK goes back to years when AKP and Gulen Movement were still political allies in its investigation and accusations. Also, this accusation implies that anyone need to be able to foresee the likelihood of their insurance company’s any future affiliation with FETO in the next six years.

They also accused IMC

MASAK also investigated Cumhuriyet newspaper’s literature pages chief editor Turhan Gunay, but could not find any suspicious transactions. Then, MASAK started investigating Turhan Gunay’s daughter E. Gunay’s bank accounts, and suggested that E Gunay has sent and received from an individual S.T., who worked for IMC TV. And, MASAK further claimed that this individual working at IMC TV is affiliated with PKK. Based on these allegations on Gunay’s daughter’s bank accounts, MASAK made an effort to claim that Turhan Gunay is linked to PKK. MASAK also used these inferences on Gunay’s daughter's money transactions with one of her friends to criminalize IMC TV, which was shut down in September 2016 with an executive order. IMC TV was still broadcasting back in 2014, and there is no investigation on IMC TV even today although it is shut down by the government.

NOTE TO THE READER: Before you borrow 600 TL from your friend, you should foresee what will become of his/her workplace 2 years ago in the next 5 years.

Accusations against HDP deputy

After investigating our newspaper’s attorney Bulent Utku’s records, MASAK mentioned that Utku worked with Erol Dora before 2004, who is now HDP’s Mardin deputy. MASAK used transactions between Dora and another HDP deputy Pervin Buldan to accuse Utku for being in contact with PKK.

NOTE TO THE READER: You should be able to anticipate that your colleague that you work with as an attorney 13 years ago may be elected as a deputy in the future, and a transaction between your colleague and another future deputy may be used as an evidence to claim your affiliation with a terrorist organization.

THEY CONSULT AN INSIDER

Informants of the investigation run by the prosecutor Murat Inam, who is now himself a suspect of a court case for being a member of FETO, are not strangers for the organization. Latif Erdogan is one of those insiders who claimed that FETO transferred money to our newspaper: “One of Gulen’s strategies is to contact someone senior holding a key position in a newspaper, and to buy those people with money transfers disguising himself. For instance, if you consider the previous status of the newspaper, he would have targeted Ilhan Selcuk directly. If you consider the current conditions, chief editor Can Dundar, could have been bought off using other journalists like Alaattin Kaya, Ekrem Dumanli or Erkam Tufan Aytav as intermediaries.” Before the start of the war between AKP and Gulenists, Latif Erdogan referred to Gulen as “someone capable of serving as the president” and he was mentioned as the potential successor of Gulen.

Even after the many far-fetched and forced methods used, as listed above, no association with any activity in the bank accounts of our publisher Orhan Erinc, ,columnist Hikmet Cetinkaya, accounting manager Gunseli Ozaltay and our former worker Bulent Yener could be made.

Why did you not spend it?

After the MASAK investigation, a memorandum was also included in the file by an unidentified expert. In this report, using the difference between electronic fund transfer (EFT) and money transfer as the basis, our friends under scrutiny were held responsible for the money saved up in their bank accounts. Even after using far-fetched claims, no evidence could be shown to tie Orhan Erinc to any involvement with the organization. Moreover, this “expert” stated that Orhan Erinc did not spend any of his savings and that this should be investigated.

Similarity in Surnames

The expert in the case included our correspondent Mahmut Oral and our columnist Zeynep Oral in the investigation report even though their names were never mentioned. In an assessment made in 2019, It was stated that Mahmut Oral was accused of being part of the organization because of being a member of the Board of Directors of the Ivy Association for Combating Poverty and Sustainable Development Association. This expert further speculated that due to the fact that they have the same last names, there must be a financial and social relationship between them. But in fact, there is absolutely no blood relation between Mahmut Oral or our columnist who is also the President for the Turkish branch of International PEN Writers’ Association. In fact according to this expert’s speculation it is very easy to assume that people with the very popular last name of “Yilmaz” (according to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs) are in fact related to each other.

In the MASAK investigation, not only the members of Cumhuriyet but all of their family members were also investigated. However, no evidence of any financial ties with any terrorist organization was found! 

* - Judge, I am innocent.

- Whoa Whoa ! Don't interfere the justice