Şahin Told Turkish That His Vehicle Was Used Without His Knowledge.

Former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin will testify in the investigation into the Süleymancılar religious community, according to a statement on Saturday. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting the probe on charges including 'managing a criminal organization for profit, 'aggravated fraud, 'violation of the Tax Procedure Law, and 'laundering of assets derived from crime. Community leader Alihan Kuriş and 31 others were arrested on August 16. His brother, Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, was detained on August 21 in the Marmaris district of Muğla as part of the same investigation and arrested on August 26 along with 10 others.

It later emerged that Kuriş was taken to Marmaris in a car assigned to Şahin. According to Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sources, two other vehicles assigned to Şahin were also used for 'suspicious activities' outside their intended purpose. Şahin told BBC Turkish that his vehicle was used without his knowledge.

The former minister said he resides in Ankara and rented the car for use when he traveled to Istanbul, agreeing that it would be kept in a parking lot when not in use. Şahin claimed he learned from the press that the owner of the company he rented the car from had used it to transport Hilmi Tuna Kuriş and Erhan Yılmaz. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek told TV100: 'They use these cars with flashing lights to avoid attracting attention.

They also use them to flee abroad. Of course, our minister İdris Naim Şahin should not have done this. I have tirely for personal use.

The minister has a prior acquaintance with Mehmet Özmen. Minister İdris Naim Şahin had said, 'I only use this car when I come to Istanbul; it stays in the parking lot, but that is not the case. This car has been used by Mehmet Özmen for a long time.

Şahin served as a minister in the 61st AKP government. Alihan Kuriş is the leader of the Süleymancılar. The community's first leader was Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan.

After Tunahan's death in 1959, his son-in-law Kemal Kacar took over. Following Kacar's death, Tunahan's grandson Ali Erhan (Alihan) Kuriş assumed leadership. Members of the community, described as a 'closed box, do not use the name Süleymancılar for themselves but rather names like 'Süleymanlılar' or 'students of Süleyman efendi.