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ISTANBUL

In a fresh development in the corruption investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, an audio recording has emerged revealing that the personal data of Istanbul residents was allegedly obtained illegally.

The recording surfaced as part of the investigation and includes conversations between two arrested suspects, Murat Ongun and Serdal Taskin, which were discovered by Istanbul's Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The investigation, launched by the office, includes charges against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and 99 other suspects. The charges range from leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, aggravated fraud, illegally obtaining personal data, and bid-rigging in public tenders.

According to the investigation, a report found that businessmen receiving payments from municipal subsidiaries transferred funds to construction projects that Imamoglu was a partner in.

The report further alleges that the personal data of Istanbul residents was illegally obtained as part of organizational activities as well as that certain businessmen were coerced into making payments, administrative sanctions were imposed on those who refused to pay, municipal contracts and tenders were awarded to affiliated businessmen in exchange for financial benefits, and individuals with outstanding receivables from the municipality were asked to pay money under the guise of "commissions" to receive their payments.

The report also highlights findings from tax audits and Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) reports saying that numerous tenders were rigged between 2021 and 2023. It asserts that only individuals close to the organization were allowed to take part in these tenders.

To avoid suspicion, these individuals established multiple companies under the names of their employees and secured high-value contracts from Medya Inc. and Kultur Inc., two subsidiaries of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Some companies were created solely for a single project and had no further commercial activity, while others were established exclusively to issue fraudulent invoices. These actions were systematically carried out within a hierarchical structure, constituting the crime of fraud against a public institution.


Audio recording

The incriminating audio recording features Murat Ongun, the chair of Medya Inc. and senior advisor to the municipality, and Serdal Taskin, the former general manager of Kultur Inc., discussing how the personal data of Istanbul residents was allegedly acquired via Ongun’s ad agency, Reklam Istanbul. According to the conversation, the company used a data management platform to gather these private details.

In the recording, Taskin is heard saying: "You can make three or four, maybe five or six times more money from a data management platform. But this created a huge problem. Everyone will be able to tell that we have access to all of Istanbul’s data. We’ll be able to see everything. This is a huge issue for us."

Ongun responded by suggesting that he might not use this data for financial gain but sees it as a valuable investment.

"If I know Istanbul, this may not bring me commercial profit. I might not use it or reveal it to anyone. I’ll just use it internally. Not financially, but in another sense, it could be an investment," he said. Later, Ongun added, "We didn’t get into this business to make it a commercial endeavor. We got into it as a political matter. Ultimately, there’s an existing system that needs to generate profit."

At the end of the recording, Taskin elaborates on the global scale of their operations.

"For example, Google takes a 32% commission. We signed a deal with a global agency at 10%. Even that’s not at that level. Right now, we’ve made the best commercial agreement globally. I was promoted in the meantime, and I crowned the promotion with that deal."

Taskin also expressed concern over the potential consequences of their actions, saying: "My fear is that we had set up a data management platform at a bank. When the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) learned about it, they came, and there were long discussions. Eventually, we managed to convince them that it was part of the media sector. But the BDDK almost imposed a 50-60 million lira ($1.32 million-$1.58 million) fine on the bank for violating personal data laws."

In response to the allegations, Ongun told the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office that "further clarification" was needed regarding "the date, method, and purpose of the recording." He left the matter of "its legal validity to legal professionals."

Ongun also said he did not clearly recall the contents of the conversation, nor could he identify the individuals referred to by codewords. However, he suggested that after taking some time to reflect and refresh his memory, he might be able to provide additional details.

In addition to the audio recording, the investigation file found that Ongun’s ad agency, Reklam Istanbul, won over 70 illegal tenders from Media Inc. between 2022 and 2024.

The allegations also mention that fugitive suspect Emrah Bagdatli was involved in collecting the personal data of Istanbul residents, which was allegedly utilized within the municipality.

This ongoing corruption investigation continues to unfold, and authorities are focused on uncovering the full extent of the misuse of personal data and its implications for the residents of Istanbul.