Journalist Fatih Portakal gave a statement as part of an investigation into the allegation that "donations collected on behalf of the Ahbap Association were transferred to the suspects' accounts." Portakal noted that he had made statements in favor of donating to the Ahbap Association due to the sensitivity felt during the earthquake period, the association's reputable standing in the public eye, and its director Haluk Levent being perceived as a trustworthy person.

The investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is ongoing. Twenty-eight suspects, including the association's founder, singer Haluk Levent, had been arrested. Fatih Portakal came to the Istanbul Courthouse today and gave a statement to the prosecutor.

In his statement, Portakal stated that he knew Haluk Levent through his identity as an artist and Oğuzhan Uğur because of the programs he hosted. He said he had no personal relationship with either suspect in his social life. He explained that he had never met Levent face-to-face, but recalled speaking with him 1-2 times by phone about a news program after the establishment phase of the Ahbap Association. He also stated that he had met Uğur a few times regarding journalistic activities and had no friendship with him outside of work.

Portakal was asked if he had stated after the February 6 earthquake that he did not trust AFAD and Kızılay, would not donate to these institutions, and would instead donate to the Ahbap Association, and that he had directed people to this association. Portakal said that the association had a positive public perception and that there had been no judicial or administrative investigation against the association from its establishment until the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes. He stated that during the earthquake period, he had expressed that donations could be made to the prominent association at the time, with the aim of connecting those in need with those who wished to help.

Portakal emphasized that during the earthquake period, he shared not only the Ahbap Association but also the needs lists published by AFAD and Kızılay in his programs, noting that his goal was to build a bridge between those who wanted to help and those in need, thereby contributing to the prompt delivery of aid.

Stating that he has been in the media sector for many years, Portakal further noted in his statement: "While making statements in favor of the association, I did not have concrete information about where the collected money was subsequently spent. I also did not feel the need to audit this under the conditions of that day. I am angry with myself about this, as I am inherently a person who encourages people to question. Given this, I regret the extent of trust I placed in this association regarding the donations to be made to it, at the stage we have reached."

Portakal stated that he had received a few negative rumors about Haluk Levent regarding bounced checks in the past but had not investigated the matter in detail. He said that he had not personally made any donations to the said association, but had made his donations directly to individuals in need. He stated that he had no commercial relationship with Haluk Levent or any money exchange between them. He conveyed that in his broadcasts, he had made statements about Babala TV and Ahbap and featured these individuals in his broadcasts, but his intention was to help deliver the collected aid to people. He added that he did not have unlimited trust in these individuals.

Portakal used the expressions, "Considering the magnitude of the aid provided and the money collected, I could have urged Haluk Levent to be accountable for where he spent the money he collected in the ongoing process and asked him to explain it, but I did not do so."

Stating that he felt a sense of responsibility when he saw how the collected aid was used, as it became the subject of an investigation, Portakal said, "Therefore, if an apology is necessary, I am ready to apologize on this matter. I already expressed this apology and regret in detail in my article dated July 16, titled 'Whom to Trust.' As I detailed above, I acted within the framework of journalistic activity with the intention of ensuring aid reached people as soon as possible. Apart from this, I have no close relationship with the individuals mentioned, nor have I gained any benefit from them."

Making a statement to the press after his testimony, Portakal said, "I gave my statement, that's all. They told me I could leave. I said I had no contact with Haluk Levent, and perhaps spoke to him 1-2 times in the past for news purposes. I even said I regretted it. Ultimately, under 2023 conditions, it seemed like a good association, but looking at the situation today, the picture that has emerged is unfortunately saddening. As I stated in my testimony above, perhaps I could have questioned more. I am sad for myself because these people exploited our good intentions."

As part of the investigation, Ece Üner, Gökhan Özoğuz, and Öykü Serter also gave statements yesterday.

The Istanbul Financial Crimes Branch Directorate, in coordination with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, had carried out work to prevent "establishing an organization to commit a crime," "aggravated fraud," and "laundering assets derived from crime," and to apprehend the suspects.

In this context, as a result of MASAK reports prepared for Ahbap Association employees, account activity examinations, and technical and physical surveillance, it was determined that there were high-value money movements inconsistent with the suspects' financial profiles, high-amount money transfers were made between them, they gambled by transferring large sums of money to lottery accounts and lost large amounts of money this way, and also carried out numerous consecutive title deed transfer transactions among themselves within a short period.

Of the 54 suspects detained as part of the investigation, 28 suspects, including Ahbap Association founder singer Haluk Levent and Oğuzhan Uğur, had been arrested. The assets of the association and some suspects had been seized.