Reporting a monthly income of 500,000 Turkish liras on October 19, Aylin Kotil addressed her arrest and financial dealings during her prosecutor’s interrogation, as Sözcü reported.
Alongside Kotil, authorities arrested her former husband, Erzincan MP Mustafa Sarıgül, their sons Ömer and Emir Sarıgül, and journalist Murat Ağırel, according to Milliyet. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecution Office continues its investigation into capital markets operations.
Tesla Factory Claims in Erzincan
During the interrogation, prosecutors questioned Kotil about individuals named Kai and March, whom she stated she did not know. She explained her connection to another figure in the case through her family history.
“Sinan Çampınar isimli şahsı ise eski eşim Mustafa Sarıgül aracılığı ile tanıdım. Mustafa Sarıgül bana bu şahsın Türkiye’de Erzincan ilinde pil fabrikası ve Tesla fabrikası kuracağını söyledi.”
said Aylin Kotil, as reported by Sözcü.
Kotil added that Sarıgül told her that Sinan Çampınar would set up a battery and Tesla manufacturing plant in Erzincan. She accepted the role out of excitement before stepping back from subsequent operations.
She said that the individual told Mustafa Sarıgül that having someone with dual citizenship during the establishment phase of these plants would speed up procedures, and when Mustafa Sarıgül communicated this situation, she got excited and accepted.
She further explained that she only spoke with Sinan on the phone a few times, during which Sinan prolonged the process by telling her that the money had not arrived and that there were minor disruptions, and she did not prolong the conversations much because she did not understand much of what the individual told her in these calls.
She traveled to Munich to sign a preliminary contract for the proposed German corporate structure. When an investment needed to take place, it was necessary to establish a company in Germany, so she went to Munich for the contract, went to the notary with Sinan Çamkıran and signed the preliminary contract protocol, and returned. However, the company was never officially incorporated, and its capital was never paid.
Aylin Kotil suskunluğunu bozdu: Bu sonuncusu biraz ağır oldu! Sarıgül soruşturmasında tutuklanan Mustafa Sarıgül'ün eski eşi Aylin Kotil, avukatı Hüseyin Ersöz aracılığıyla kendisi hakkında çıkan haberlere ve soruşturmaya dair açıklama yaptı. "Ben haklıyım, ben suçsuzum ve ben…”
She noted she did not take part in any of the subsequent transactions and meetings.
“Ben Mustafa Sarıgül ile evliyken de boşandıktan sonra da ticari hayatına dair, gelirine dair herhangi bir şey sorgulamazdım ve bilmezdim” said Aylin Kotil, stating that while married to Mustafa Sarıgül and after divorcing him, she never questioned or knew anything about his commercial life or income, and she still possesses no knowledge regarding Mustafa Sarıgül's commercial life.
She added that her son Ömer Sarıgül also holds no knowledge about his father’s commercial life and assets, and when divorcing Mustafa Sarıgül, she received no movable or immovable property from him, stating that her current assets consist entirely of movables and immovables inherited from her family and acquired through her own savings.
Regarding the audio recordings asking about removing her from the company, she stated she knew nothing about that phrase, and since there was no established company, there was no situation of leaving the company.
Upon learning that Volkan Aslanbaş was appointed as the manager of North Company, she stated she was surprised because, as far as she had heard, Volkan Aslanbaş is not a very reliable person. She said that they had these conversations after Mustafa Sarıgül told her that the individuals would not invest, and after those talks, she thought that they must have persuaded Mustafa Sarıgül again, but she still did not get involved in the process, adding that her involvement in the issues described in the complaint petition goes only that far.
She stated she does not know Mustafa Sarıgül’s assets either domestically or abroad, but only heard that he has a property in London, and added that she has no information regarding the villa he wanted to buy in Germany.
“Aile yapımızda bunların sorulması alışılagelmiş değildir.” Stating that she never knew any of the business Mustafa Sarıgül did during his term as Mayor of Şişli, she said that asking about these things is not customary in their family structure.
She added that she knows nothing about Emir Sarıgül’s commercial life either, that they do not like each other and do not see each other, and that she has not seen him for about 6 years, has not heard good things about him, but does not know whether he laundered money together with Mustafa Sarıgül.
Stating that she never had a ban on entering Germany due to money during any period of her life, she added that she had no information about the two million euros sent to Germany in installments, and heard about it here for the first time.
Denial of Financial Involvement
“Almanya'ya parça gönderilen iki milyon euro hakkında bir bilgim yoktur. İlk defa burada duydum.” Addressing wider allegations of illicit fund transfers, Kotil stated she had no knowledge of two million euros sent to Germany in incremental installments. She maintained that she never engaged in money laundering or facilitated the movement of funds across borders.
In a written statement released during her 22nd day in custody, Kotil maintained her innocence regarding the charges brought against her, as Cumhuriyet reported.
“Ve şunu bilmenizi istiyorum ki, ben haklıyım, ben suçsuzum ve ben bunu ortaya koymak için her şeyi yapacağım.”
said Aylin Kotil, continuing her statement by declaring that she will not repeat what she explained at the police department, prosecutor’s office, and before the judge, but wants to state that the evidence proving her innocence will be shared transparently both with judicial authorities and with everyone, and that she will answer smear campaigns through legal channels rather than by taking slanderers as interlocutors. Sevgilerimle.”
