Strange question for İmamoğlu's bodyguard: Why are you so close?
The statement taken by the police from Kamburoğlu, İmamoğlu's bodyguard who was detained and then released, is tragicomic and absurd. This is because the bodyguard of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor İmamoğlu is being questioned for being close to İmamoğlu.
Unprecedented lawlessness and absurdities have occurred and continue to occur in the investigations targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The close circle of İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is also being targeted. Since 19 March, the following method, which has no place in law, has been applied:
People in İmamoğlu's circle are being detained or arrested without evidence. These individuals are being asked to give statements, taking advantage of effective repentance, in order to be released from prison. In fact, this practice is illegal and paves the way for witnesses to slander others in order to save themselves.
ARRESTED ON SATURDAY
Consequently, most of the charges in the İBB indictment are based on witness and confidential witness statements. There have also been instances of individuals from the families of Ekrem İmamoğlu and other defendants being detained and arrested. Despite the completion of the İBB investigation and the filing of the case, the detentions continue.
On 7 February, i.e. Saturday, İmamoğlu's close protection officer, Bektaş Kamburoğlu, was detained at his home in Beşiktaş Etiler. Kamburoğlu, who was held in custody at the Istanbul Police Headquarters for two days, was transferred to the Istanbul Çağlayan Courthouse the previous day.
Of course, the first question in the police statement was, 'Do you want to benefit from active repentance?
Kamburoğlu replied, ‘I do not wish to benefit from the provisions of effective repentance because I am not a member of any organisation.’
İMAMOĞLU'S FELLOW TOWNSMAN
Kamburoğlu was born in Of, Trabzon, in 1977. He is a fellow countryman of İmamoğlu. He played football professionally and later became involved in wrestling. After receiving security training, he worked as a bodyguard for the owner of LC Waikiki, Yılmaz Ulusoy, owner of Ulusoy Holding, and Bakırköy Municipality Mayor Ateş Ünal Erzen. He was Ekrem İmamoğlu's close protection officer from İmamoğlu's time as Mayor of Beylikdüzü until his arrest. He continues to work as an armed security guard with social security coverage at İSTGÜVEN, an affiliate of the IBB, and has been working as the close protection officer for Nuri Aslan, Deputy Mayor of the IBB, since İmamoğlu's arrest.
The statement taken from Kamburoğlu, who was taken into custody, at the Istanbul Police Headquarters is tragicomic and absurd. This is because İmamoğlu's close protection officer is being questioned because he was close to Ekrem İmamoğlu.
İMAMOĞLU'S FAMILY WAS QUESTIONED
In his statement to the police, the names of the close protection officers were listed and he was asked if he knew them. The first names listed were: Ekrem İmamoğlu's father Hasan İmamoğlu, his son Mehmet Selim İmamoğlu, and his brother-in-law Cevat Kaya. After the family members recognised by the bodyguard, İmamoğlu's close colleagues were questioned. The bodyguard recognised names including Beylikdüzü Municipality Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, İBB Press Advisor Murat Ongun, IBB Security Director Mustafa Akın, IBB Sports President Fatih Keleş, and İmamoğlu's lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan.
A total of 27 names were asked, including businesspeople and those working in the IBB's IT department, and it was normal for the close protection officer to recognise most of them.
“WHY DID YOU TALK ON THE PHONE?”
However, Bektaş Kamburoğlu was also questioned about phone call records and base signals with these individuals. For example, one of the questions was: ‘Please explain your 247 phone contacts with Murat Ongun between 2019 and 2024.’
Of course, there was a very plausible answer in line with the normal course of life: ‘As I was part of the close protection team, I would provide information such as “We've arrived, we're coming, we've left, we're going in” when going somewhere.’
The answer to the question of why he had base signals with these individuals was also very convincing: ‘I have been Ekrem İmamoğlu's close protection officer for 11-12 years. Ekrem İmamoğlu and I have travelled together all over Turkey. The individuals mentioned may have been with us at these meetings, rallies, and mosques. That is why I had base signals with them.’
TWO ACTIONS QUESTIONED
Bektaş Kamburoğlu's name did not appear even once in the 3,741-page IBB indictment. However, the allegations already in the indictment were questioned to Bektaş Kamburoğlu, stating that they were “in the police report”.
The first was related to the taping of Le Meridien Hotel cameras, listed under the heading “Action-15” in the indictment. It was said that there was money in the suitcases, and for days the pro-government media published reports about “suitcases full of money”, but later it was discovered that the suitcases contained signal jammers. No, the money was not questioned. In fact, in an investigation that began with allegations of billions of lira in corruption, the money, which should still be the biggest piece of evidence, has not been presented.
AGAIN, A BASE ERROR
Bektaş Kamburoğlu was asked why his phone was transmitting a signal from the hotel area on the day the cameras were taped. Thus, his close protection was also questioned because he was not near Ekrem İmamoğlu on that particular day. This is because Bektaş Kamburoğlu was on leave on the day the cameras were recorded. His home is in Etiler, 500 metres from the hotel, so his phone was transmitting a signal from the same base station.
He responded to the question as follows: ‘The hotel in question is 500 metres from my residence. I may have passed by there that day, either by car or on foot. That is why I may have transmitted a signal.’
Bektaş also explained that taping the cameras was a routine practice for close protection officers.
“I WAS THERE FOR MY DUTY”
Another accusation against Kamburoğlu was related to the removal of camera equipment at the IBB Presidential Residence. He was asked, “Why were you at the Presidential Residence that day?”
The close protection officer replied: ‘I go to and from the IBB Presidential Residence as part of my duties. I continued my duties after the IBB operations. I have no knowledge of the removal and destruction of the cameras.’
In fact, Kamburoğlu’s name did not appear at all in the section of the indictment relating to this incident.
İMAMOĞLU'S FRIENDLY LETTER
Kamburoğlu's phone was examined and two photographs of letters were found. One was from İmamoğlu in prison and the other was from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Security Director Mustafa Akın. The police questioned why these letters did not have a “seen in prison” stamp. Kamburoğlu explained that the letters, written in the form of notes, were given to him by lawyers whose names he could not remember, and that he kept them as souvenirs because they contained friendly expressions. The letter from İmamoğlu, as described in the statement, reads as follows:
"My dear brother Bektaş. My valued companion and fellow citizen. I am fully confident that you will support my family with your presence and full attention throughout this process. May God protect our country and our nation from these evil people. Of course, I miss you and wonder how you are. Hopefully, these days will pass quickly, and we will be together in better days. Please convey my greetings and love to your family. My process and my family are entrusted to you and your friends. 31 May 2025. Ekrem İmamoğlu."
Mustafa Akın's letter also contained friendly words and good wishes. Kamburoğlu was released on bail with the conditions of signing in every two weeks and a ban on leaving the country. Turkey also witnessed days when a close protection officer was detained and interrogated because of his proximity to İmamoğlu.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İmamoğlu’nun korumasına garip soru: Neden yakınsın!, published in BirGün newspaper on February 10, 2026.
