Confessions have begun! This is how they robbed the Central Bank

Journalist İsmail Saymaz's article for HalkTV addressed allegations of fraud and corruption at the Interbank Card Center, of which the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) is a major shareholder. Saymaz also included confessions about the scandalous fraud in his article.

According to Saymaz, former BKM General Manager Baran Aytaş, who was arrested, attempted to exploit the act of remorse in his statement to the prosecutor. Aytaş blamed then-Central Bank Vice President Emrah Şener for the theft.

Saymaz said, "Arrested former BKM General Manager Baran Aytaş attempted to exploit effective remorse in his statement to the prosecutor's office. Aytaş holds former Central Bank Deputy Chairman Emrah Şener responsible for the theft."

According to Saymaz, Aytaş said in his statement that Şener was his master's professor and that he started working at the Central Bank through him.

Aytaş, who began working as Şener's advisor in 2017, became BKM Deputy General Manager in 2021 and General Manager six months later. He was dismissed at the end of 2024.

In his statement, Aytaş said, "Şener requested and contributed to my appointment to the Central Bank and the positions I assumed at BKM. He is my immediate superior. Because he is responsible for payment systems and BKM, he has a say in appointments."

THE TENDER PRICE WAS KNOWN

Aytaş responded to questions about the first of five irregularities detected by the Central Bank Inspection Board, the tenders for the "Plastic Card Purchase with Chip" and the "Specification and Applet and Software Development for TROY" awarded to Enarge Engineering Education Consulting Research and Development Industry and Trade Limited Company.

The Central Bank determined that there was a public loss of 66,224,448 TL in two tenders.

According to the inspection board report:

The commission that will determine the approximate cost for the 2.5 million chip cards has not been appointed by the tender authority.

The 30-day lead time was not met.

Two companies were prevented from submitting bids.

The price was paid before delivery.

Even though it did not have an authorized dealer certificate, the tender was awarded to Enarge.

In the second tender, only Enarge submitted a bid.

The entire amount was paid before the job was accepted.

Aytaş noted that they began seeking to procure cards with chips and "specifications and applet software for TROY" in response to a request from the Banks Association of Türkiye, adding:

"Due to BKM's approach, we wanted to resolve the issue with a local company. Card suppliers in the market did not want to do it."

BKM Purchasing Commission predicted that the tender would remain below 66,000,000 TL.

The tender was awarded to Enarge for 3,235,000 dollars, equivalent to 64,269,745 TL.

It appears the company knew the price in advance.

BKM Purchasing Commission predicted that the tender would remain below 66,000,000 TL.

The tender was awarded to Enarge for 3,235,000 dollars, equivalent to 64,269,745 TL.

It appears the company knew the price in advance.

Aytaş said, "Şener suggested that Enarge should be one of the companies invited to the tender to produce domestic national cards, providing an alternative to foreigners. He has contact with the company. Driven by national sentiment and considering it to be a state mind, we followed Şener's instructions."

Energe's owner turned out to be Taha Meli Arvas, whom Şener had known from Özyeğin University. After becoming the acting chairman of the Capital Markets Board in 2020, Arvas reportedly handed over the company to Hüseyin Halit Özdamar, who then handed over his authority to Mehmet Taha Durmuş and Erdoğan Alkan.

The prosecutor's office issued an arrest warrant for Durmuş and Alkan.

Today, Arvas is the General Manager of Energy Market Operations.

Arvas' father is Ercümend Arvas, Chairman of the Board of Aselsan and a member of the Presidential Science, Technology and Innovation Policies Board. The file also states that Arvas, the elder, published a book jointly with Alkan, to whom he transferred his son's company.

It was stated that the entire amount of the work was paid to Enarge one day after the tender.

FREE CARDS TO VAKIFBANK

It was also revealed that BKM provided 2.5 million chip cards to Vakıfbank free of charge, despite there being no request from the banks.

Although Vakıfbank rejected the cards, saying, "There is no request from us," according to Aytaş's statement, these cards were delivered upon Şener's instructions.

In his statement, Aytaş said, "We announced that we would provide 2.5 million cards to banks. Because only Vakıfbank had requested them, we gave them to them free of charge. Although Vakıfbank informed us that they had no request and that we could contact other banks, we had subsequently obtained the cards, so they had to be given to a bank. They were delivered to Vakıfbank in accordance with Şener's instructions."

SHUTTER COMPANY

According to Saymaz, Aytaş said that Muhammed Güven, who entered the Central Bank as an intern, was hired by Şener at BKM and sent to Singapore for two weeks at the beginning of 2023.

Güven founded a company called “EM Smartechs” here.

It was determined that $3.35 million of the $4.1 million paid to Enarge by BKM was sent to this company under the name of "chip purchase."

Aytaş said, “This is a front company, it was established for this purpose.”

Güven was also arrested on the same day.

Aytaş stated, "Chips flow from China are going through me. I'm one of the top three companies in this field in Türkiye. How can I be a shell company?" However, it was revealed that the company was founded just five months before the BKM tender.

MONEY GOING TO THE BOSPHORUS

The second irregularity detected by the Central Bank Inspection Board is related to the agreement made with Boğaziçi University Technology Transfer Office (TTO).

According to Aytaş's statement, 44 million 150 thousand TL was paid for the two projects.

It was determined that the contract was made without a price quote, payment was made before the work was completed and no tender was held.

According to the report, Şener arranged for Associate Professor Ali Coşkun, with whom he had a joint article, to become the project manager, while 200,000 TL was transferred to his brother İbrahim and 693,236 euros to the company in Singapore.

Aytaş said, “I suspect that the money paid to TTO was shared between Şener and these circles.”

“LIKE PAYING SERVANTNESS”

It was determined that Aytaş sent 2 million Turkish Lira to Güven's account. When asked why, Aytaş claimed he paid Şener money from his salary to secure his job, saying:

When I transferred to BKM, Şener told me my salary would increase. When I told him I'd been overpaid, he said, "Save the extra. I'll tell you when the time comes." I saved for two years. He said, "I hired you at BMK, and you'll pay me the extra salary as a lump sum. Everyone I hired at the institution gave me the overpaid amount." Fearing I'd lose my job, I sent the 2 million lira to Güven, the same person Şener had suggested.

Aytaş claimed that former General Manager Mehmet Zahit Samancıoğlu and his assistant Bora Koç also sent money.

DIRECT PURCHASE FROM COUSIN'S COMPANY

The third charge in the case relates to agency services received from a company called Be Bold. A total payment of 1,857,900 Turkish Lira was assessed as embezzlement.

The company's owner, Çağkan Göktuğ, is Aytaş's cousin. Be Bold was founded two and a half months before the tender.

Aytaş stated, "He did the work for less money just to avoid upsetting me and to support the local project. It's true that there are alternative companies, but we wanted to keep the project of changing TROY's name to 'Lirakart' confidential."

“THREAT FOR CREDIT CARD”

The fourth charge is that the corporate credit card given to Aytaş was used for personal expenses.

Aytaş said the following regarding the issue in his statement to the prosecutor's office:

"Şener asked for the card repeatedly. I objected at first. He threatened me by saying he had me transferred to the BKM and that he could dismiss me. I gave it to him out of fear of losing my job. Şener made the expenses."

MEAL CARDS NOT GIVEN TO INTERNS

The fifth charge is that students studying abroad, known to Şener, were shown as interns at BKM and meal cards were issued for these people.

Aytaş stated that he hand-delivered the meal cards to Şener, saying, "I don't know who used them." This statement suggests that the cards were not given to the interns.

“HE USED ME AS A TOOL”

Aytaş claimed that he was used as a tool by Şener and concluded his words as follows:

"I acted under Şener's orders and instructions, believing I was acting in the state's interest. He used me as a pawn. I didn't benefit a single penny. He promised me that he would receive money for tenders and other service procurements, and that he would give me a share. I never made any commitments or received any money."

"I HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH BKM"

In response to the allegations, the then-Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Emrah Şener, denied the accusations in his testimony at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of Peace.

Şener said, "I was the vice president of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT). I have no connection to tenders or transactions conducted at the BKM. There is only one money transfer directed to me. That was a 200,000 TL transfer made by a friend during my time as a faculty member at Boğaziçi University. I have no authority to appoint personnel at the BKM."