31 Mayıs 2021 Pazartesi

Bingöl ("1,000 Lakes") Has Loansharks in the Water

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 31 May 2021)











                               Swim at your own risk.

In 2013, Nurettin Varol, the Bingöl provincial chairman for the MHP 
(partner with ruling AKP party) and his father, lent Mehmet Akif 
Güngörigök, the AKP mayor of Bingöl's Ilıcalar town, 60,000 Euros,
along with 135,000 TL and 80,000 TL.  At the time, Güngörigök was
involved in the furniture business and was experiencing financial
difficulties.  He signed promissory notes for these debts. 

When Güngörigök was unable to repay a part of the debt, Varol had
part of his mayoral salary sequestered, prompting Güngörigök to 
file a criminal complaint against Varol and his father for loansharking.(!)
The case was heard on 6 April in court in Bingöl and Varol and his 
father Abdullah Varol were convicted of loansharking and sentenced to
3 years 1 month and 15 days in prison, along with a 12,500 TL fine.

The verdict is on appeal.  Nurettin Varol noted that "we gave him 
money for his business and we didn't get it back. So he threatened us
with the loansharking suit.  Besides ours, there are 25 other 
sequestration orders against him.  If this was loansharking why didn't
he complain at the time? If any person in Bingöl accuses me, my
father or my family with loansharking, we are ready to leave here."

As for Güngörigök, he explained that  "Unfortunately, moneylenders
are shameless but borrowers are shamed.  It's not easy to bring a 
charge of loansharking - there have to be documents, witnesses and
investigations.  I borrowed money from the Varols when I was in a 
bind.  I was elected mayor of Ilıcalar in 2014.  I served jail time for
this in 2018 and 2020.  Now let them serve time."

























        Ilıcalar town is just north of Bingöl city.

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