Suspect, secret witness in Ayhan Bora Kaplan case caught in Hungary after fleeing Turkey under house arrest

Serdar Sertçelik, a suspect and secret witness in the case of Ayhan Bora Kaplan’s crime syndicate, was caught while trying to enter Hungary with a fake passport. Sertçelik was wanted on red notice after fleeing Turkey under house arrest, which he claimed he did with the help of some police officers.

Saturday June 01 2024 05:11 pm

Duvar English

Turkey’s Interior Ministry on May 30 announced that Serdar Sertçelik, wanted on red notice, was caught in Hungary.

Sertçelik is a suspect and secret witness in the case of Ayhan Bora Kaplan’s crime syndicate. He was able to flee Turkey despite being under house arrest.

In a statement, the ministry said, “Sertçelik, one of the senior executives of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan organized crime syndicate, was arrested in Hungary on May 25, 2024, while trying to enter through Roszke border with a fake Georgian passport and Simeon Nikos identity information.”

🟥Kırmızı Bülten ile aranan Serdar Sertçelik yakalandı❗️

Ayhan Bora Kaplan organize suç örgütünün üst düzey yöneticilerinden olan;

📌Malvarlığı Değerlerinin Meşru Bir Yolla Elde Edildiği Konusunda Kanaat Uyandırmak,
📌Suç İşlemek Amacıyla Kurulan Örgüte Üye Olma,
📌Kasten…
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) May 30, 2024

Sertçelik is facing several charges, including “intentional killing,” and “being a member of an organization established to commit crime.”

Turkey’s Justice Ministry initiated a judicial process for Sertçelik's extradition.

Ayhan Bora Kaplan case

Kaplan was arrested on charges of leading an organized crime group shortly after his attempt to leave the country was thwarted in September. The crime syndicate reportedly was close to former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and the organization became stronger during his term.

The case is seen as a rift between Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on the one hand, and the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on the other.

Yerlikaya's camp claims that the investigation is targeting criminal organizations and people linked to them.

Some high-ranking police officers have been arrested for involving in the syndicate, some for being in charge of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan operation.

Some other high-ranking officers have been arrested after being in-charge of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan operation.

Sertçelik, who was accused of being the crime syndicate’s executive, was able to flee Turkey while being under house arrest. He told journalist Erk Acarer that some police officers helped him to escape.

He also claimed that the Ankara Security Directorate had carried out a “coup attempt against the AKP” with the operation against Ayhan Bora Kaplan.