The procedures of the suspects who were detained within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and referred to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan have been completed.

An arrest warrant was issued for 14 people, including artist Haluk Levent and lawyer Ece Güner, among the 19 suspects who were referred to the criminal judgeship of peace on duty after the prosecutor's interrogations with a request for "arrest".

Criminal Judgeship of Peace on Duty; He decided to arrest Haluk Levent, Ece Güner, İlker Çetin, Nurdan Eriş, Yusuf Can Ertit, Kemal Ötünç, Şehmus Baştuğ, Abdülcevat Özkan, Emrah Gödeniler, Erhan Dökmeci, Halil Bostancı, Mehmet Ulu, Yeliz Kaya and Zafer Yay.

The prosecutor's office's letter, which was cited as the reason for Haluk Levent's arrest, contained striking findings. In the article, the following statements were made, especially referring to the management of the billions of lira fund collected after the 2023 earthquake:

"It has been understood that there are signs of strong suspicion that the aid is managed or spent in a transparent and auditable manner, and that these doubts and evidence have been strengthened as a result of both the personal weaknesses and economic situation of the suspect and the findings in the completed MASAK report."

In the referral letter, it is also emphasized that the Friends Association does not qualify as an association working for the public good; It was stated that concrete findings were made that the equity capital of the association was diminished and its immovable properties were disposed of, and that MASAK's investigation and evidence collection processes continued in a multifaceted manner.

It was decided to impose a judicial control measure in the form of "not leaving the house" (house arrest) against Esin Önder Çağlayan, one of the other suspects who was brought to court within the scope of the investigation.

Judicial control provisions, including an international travel ban, were applied to the other detained suspects Gülşen Öztürk, Merve Yılman, Tuğba Serbest, Buse Vurucu and Yasin Meydaneri.

Ece Güner said that she has been donating to the Friends Association for five or six years, especially during the earthquake.

Claiming that he knows Haluk Levent by name, Güner said, "I made the donations through the IBAN numbers given on social media. I do not know who used the accounts of the friends association." expressed his claim.

Güner rejected the claim that he was Haluk Levent's lawyer and consultant.

Güner, who said that he donated large amounts to the Ahbap Association after the earthquake disaster centered in Kahramnamaraş, claimed that Levent reached him by phone after his donations.

"He said he wanted to visit me and have a coffee. I didn't want my help to be seen or heard. I didn't really want Haluk Levent to meet me." Ece Güner claimed that Levent visited his office with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"He started asking me to borrow money, making excuses because of the problems in the earthquake zone." Güner brought up the following allegations in his statement:

"Initially, he asked me for around 300-400 thousand dollars. At that time, I also had plans to buy a house in İstinye Park. I also had a large amount of cash lying idle in the bank. I sent 300-400 thousand dollars to the accounts of the people Haluk Levent mentioned, with dollar amounts written and a debt statement.

Haluk Levent paid his debt on the date he said, through the account holders to whom I sent the money. Within two weeks of this same incident, he again asked me for a similar amount as a two-week loan, stating that they had a cash problem on the grounds that urgent needs such as water, bread and food could not be invoiced through the association, related to emergency aid in the earthquake zone.

Likewise, I transferred the money to the accounts of the people Haluk Levent sent. When I asked Haluk Levent why I was sending money to these people's accounts, he said that these friends were in the field and that he followed this route because they would be used urgently in that area. He paid back the amount I sent him within two or three weeks. That's how he gained my trust."

Saying that Haluk Levent told that the association would establish a large technology park in Ankara in August 2023, Güner claimed the following for the 1 million dollars he claimed to have sent for this project:

"He mentioned that a philanthropic businessman had undertaken this and that this businessman would provide around 3 million dollars of assistance. He later said that this businessman's money was temporarily blocked due to a tax problem, and he said that if they, as the Friends association, cannot fulfill the many commitments they made regarding this project, there will be great destruction for the association and lawsuits may be filed and the name of the association may be tarnished.

In the first place, he asked me for a loan of 3 million dollars. I said I didn't have that much money. Then he called me again and again, with long insistence. Trusting him because he repaid the debts I had previously given him on time, I first sent Haluk Levent to the lira equivalent of around 1 million dollars through the IBAN numbers of other people he had sent me, along with the dollar amount and debt description.

The businessman, who was said to make a donation for the technology park, said he would donate to the Ahbap association, but since the money he wanted from me was a loan, not a donation, he asked me to send this money to personal accounts, not to the association. Afterwards, when the donation money came from this businessman, he declared that he would pay me back the temporary debt I had sent."

Claiming that Haluk Levent did not pay his debt in the last month, Ece Güner said, "He gave me excuses and told me long stories, saying that he could pay the debt in about three months. Although he did not pay his debt, he repeatedly requested additional debt from me." brought forward his allegations.

"He was always telling me pathetic stories about his and his family's health." Güner continued his defense as follows:

"After this, Haluk Levent asked to borrow money from me again. I sent him three or five items in TL, equivalent to 570 thousand dollars, on top of the 1 million dollar debt I had previously given him, and again stating that each of them was a dollar amount and a debt. In other words, I lent him a total of 1 million 570 thousand dollars in TL. Haluk Levent and I recorded a report with his signature for this debt of 1 million 570 thousand dollars. Haluk Levent paid these debts as a result of long efforts. About a year later, although not in full dollar terms, he gradually paid me back in TL through the IBANs he had given me."