Imaginary Friends in High Places

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk Newspaper, 30 December 2017)


Imaginary reporters besieged Büyükişbir on his Facebook page. 

In Ankara, a fraud incident came to light when tens of people tried to
reach the General Secretary of the Presidency, Fahri Kasırga.  Through
his lawyer, Kasırga filed a complaint with the Ankara public prosecutor
stating that one Mehmet Ali Büyükişbir has been passing himself off as
an advisor to Kasırga in order to bilk job-seekers with his professed
'influence' in high places of the government.

In one incident, a woman named G.A. was promised a job by Büyükişbir
for 4,000 TL (about $1,000).  The prosecutor began an investigation
based on G.A.'s complaint and many others.  Police reviewed Büyükişbir's
Facebook page and found photos of political VIPs, such as Prime Minister
Binali Yıldırım, put there to give the impression that Büyükişbir was
close with them.

Police could not find Büyükişbir at the address given by the complainants
so his phone was tapped for two months.  On Monday, police apprehended
Büyükişbir in Ankara.  In his statement to the court, Büyükişbir claimed
that "people ask me if I'm an advisor to ministers or parliamentarians and
I must have concurred because people see me in such a role.  But I haven't
used this role for my own benefit.  I deny the charges and demand to be
released!"

Judge Sezer Söylemez ruled that Büyükişbir be jailed for fraud and sent
him to Sincan Prison in the western outskirts of Ankara.


            His friends here will be all too real.