Football player Metehan Baltacı and his lawyer were present at the hearing held today at the 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul Courthouse. Before the hearing, Galatasaray managers Metin Öztürk, Abdullah Kavukcu, Eray Yazgan and Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk also came to the hearing to support Baltacı.

‘I WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANYONE FROM THE TEAM ON THAT DATE’

In his defense, Metehan Baltacı said, “I do not accept the crime charged against me. I was in the U19 team on the two dates of action mentioned in the indictment, that is, I was in the under-19 team squad. I was not in the A team. I had a betting membership on the legal site on March 19, 2021 and April 17, 2021. I bet on these two matches. Those in the U19 team are not in the same area as those in the A team. I was also removed from the team on that date. “I was not in contact with anyone. Since I was not in the A squad, I had no contact with the players in the Galatasaray-Rizespor match and Göztepe-Galatasaray match. I did not win any money from the bet in question. The bet I placed was a goal bet.”

Continuing his defense, Baltacı added: I took part in the A team of Galatasaray Sports Club in the 2023-2024 season. I played my first official match this season. As far as I know, I was not a member of illegal betting sites. I did not place any bets after I joined the A team. I never bet on matches I played myself. As can be seen from the messages in the friend group, I did not make a match-fixing agreement with anyone. There is no coupon mentioned in the messages. “There is no money coming into my account,” he said.

‘I DO NOT ACCEPT THE FRAUD ACCUSE’

Baltacı said, “I do not accept the charge of fraud. I did not know that betting was a crime. I did not deceive anyone with any fraudulent act. I have been interested in football since the age of 12. I have been working hard for years. I am very sorry to be in this situation and I do not accept it. I received a deprivation of rights penalty from TFF. I have been detained for 4 months. I demand my release and acquittal.”

An indictment was prepared against football player Metehan Baltacı, who was arrested on December 9, 2025, within the scope of the ‘betting on football’ investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. In the indictment, it was requested that Baltacı be sentenced to imprisonment from 4 to 13 years for ‘Fraud’ and ‘Fixing and incentive bonus’ crimes.

REQUEST FOR EVACUATION

The prosecutor requested Baltacı’s release. The hearing was adjourned.

Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi received a comprehensive briefing on the work carried out by the General Directorate of Legal Services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At the meeting, detailed information about the duties, powers and functioning of the General Directorate of Legal Services was shared, while the activities carried out by the departments affiliated to the General Directorate were also discussed. In addition, comprehensive evaluations were made about the prosecution services regarding the cases to which the Ministry is a party within the scope of the Decree Law No. 659 and the transactions carried out within this framework.

STUDIES FOR THE LEGAL PROVISION OF PUBLIC SERVICES

During the briefing, processes related to legislative studies concerning the Ministry and its affiliated organizations were also discussed in detail. At the meeting, the effectiveness of the legal consultancy services provided to the administration, measures to prevent disputes, and efforts to ensure the legal, effective and rapid execution of public services were evaluated.

DEPUTY MINISTER AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATED

Deputy Minister Bülent Turan, General Director of Legal Services and department heads attended the meeting.

MESSAGE OF DETERMINATION

It was emphasized that the Ministry of Internal Affairs continues to resolutely strengthen the effectiveness and institutional capacity of public services by basing all its work and transactions on the principle of the rule of law.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the nation after the Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex. Congratulating the nation and the entire Islamic world on the past Eid al-Fitr, Erdoğan stated that they are trying to understand Ramadan Sharif in accordance with its meaning and spirit this year, as every year.

Explaining that they take care to experience the feelings of kindness, sharing and cooperation at the highest level throughout Ramadan, Erdoğan said:

“Despite those who tried to cast a shadow on our Ramadan joy, we, as 86 million, felt in our hearts the warmth of being a cure for each other’s problems, of being friends, brothers, neighbors and companions. We met around the same table with a wide range of citizens, from our youth to our educators, from our police forces to representatives of community foundations, from our workers to our martyrs’ relatives.”

Important statements from President Erdoğan after the Cabinet Meeting!

“RAMADAN PROGRAM IN THE COMPLEX FOLLOWS A VERY IMPORTANT NEED IN ANKARA”

President Erdoğan stated that the “Ramadan in the Complex” program, which they organized for the second time this year, attracted great interest from the public and said, “592 thousand citizens, most of them children and young people, visited our Complex on this occasion. Especially our children experienced the joy of Ramadan to their fullest, had fun and learned in the 12 thousand square meter area prepared for them. More than 8 thousand events were organized, including conferences, concerts, interviews and autograph sessions.” “We were pleased to observe that the ‘Ramadan in the Social Complex’ program meets a very important need in Ankara.” he said.

Emphasizing that the “Ramadan in the Heart of Education” program, which is targeted by circles at war with the nation and its values, similarly contributes to experiencing Ramadan in a very different atmosphere in schools, Erdoğan said:

“We were very happy to see the Ramadan enthusiasm of our children who filled the school gardens with joy. We witnessed once again in Ramadan that no matter what anyone says, we are like flesh and nails as a nation. 86 million of us are one, we are together; we are brothers from eternity to eternity. Hopefully, as long as we live in these lands, we will continue to be one heart, one wrist, like a clenched fist. From here, we celebrate Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr with brotherhood, love and “I would like to thank all my citizens who mobilize solidarity, all our teachers who instill our national and spiritual values in our students with the events they organize, our foundations, associations and philanthropists who lend a hand to the oppressed and victimized in our country as well as the oppressed and victimized in the world, and our police forces who ensure that our citizens travel safely during the holiday. My prayer to God is that he will bring us to those happy days when gunshots are not heard in our region, the noise of bombs and missiles is replaced by children’s screams of joy, and holidays are experienced like holidays.”

Important statements from President Erdoğan!

“WE ARE DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY ABOUT THE SCREASONS WHO PLAY WITH NERVE ENDINGS USING NEVRUZ AS AN EXCUSE”

Pointing out that the crash of the helicopter, which was carrying out training activities within the Qatar-Turkish Combined Joint Force Command on the third day of the Eid, broke everyone’s heart, President Erdoğan said, “Seven personnel, 4 of whom were Qataris, were martyred due to the crash of the helicopter. Air Defense Major Sinan Taştekin, ASELSAN technicians Süleyman Cemre Kahraman and İsmail Enes Can, and members of the Qatar Armed Forces, who were martyred in the accident. I pray for God’s mercy. I share the pain of our Qatari brothers and express my condolences to the grieving families, relatives and friends of our martyrs. May God rest the souls of our martyrs and rest them in peace.” he said.

Reminding that Nevruz Day, the herald of spring and the symbol of the resurrection of nature, falls on the second day of Ramadan Feast this year, President Erdoğan said:

“Nevruz has been celebrated in a festive atmosphere by brotherly peoples in many places from Anatolia to the Caucasus, from Central Asia to the Middle East, for centuries. Although there were unpleasant events that did not suit the spirit of Nevruz in previous years, we have seen that these incidents have decreased significantly in the last two years with the influence of our Terror-Free Turkey process. We are also doing what is necessary against the scoundrels who play with the nerve endings of our nation by using Nevruz as an excuse, as in Diyarbakır and Istanbul. We will not allow any provocation that casts a shadow on the values represented by Nevruz. Such provocations, which aim to undermine our Terrorism-Free Turkey process, whose strategic importance is better understood these days, will not be strong enough to divert Türkiye from this auspicious path. Despite the various obstacles we face, we will carry out the process that we have been carrying out with great common sense for 17 months. Our path may be uphill, but the future is clear for our country. “His horizon is clear, and with God’s permission, his future is bright.”

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF LOVE, PEACE AND BROTHERHOOD IN OUR REGION”

“Just as our Terror-free Türkiye process disrupts a half-century-old bloody game, our Terror-Free Zone ideal hinders the plans of those who want to build walls of discord between Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Persians.” President Erdoğan continued his speech with the following words:

“We first saw this in the developments in the north of Syria; lastly, we saw this in the dirty plan aimed at Iran. Just looking at these two regional developments is enough to understand the accuracy and strategic value of the vision we put forward 1.5 years ago. As our unity and solidarity grow stronger, as our brotherhood strengthens, as the era of weapons and violence comes to an end, I say this especially, as we always say, the winner will be our country, our nation, the brotherly peoples in our region. No citizen should doubt this. Look, we have thousands of people in this geography.” “We have been living together for years. As the ancient inhabitants of the region, our sadness and joy are always the same. Today, our hearts beat together and our tears flow together. We will not surrender to the language of violence, hatred and hatred; we will continue to glorify the universal language of love, peace and brotherhood in our region.”

Erdoğan said, “I hope that Nevruz, which we unfortunately spent under the shadow of wars, will bring peace, serenity and abundance to the people of the region, especially our nation. I congratulate our nation on Nevruz Feast once again and hope that this meaningful day will strengthen the bonds of love between us.” he said.

“WE HAVE LEAVED A VERY BUSY TWO WEEKS BEHIND”

Stating that they, as the cabinet, continued their work throughout Ramadan and the holiday without slowing down, President Erdoğan said that they left behind another two very busy weeks in terms of both meeting and embracing the public and foreign political contacts.

Stating that they hosted United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Presidential Complex on March 12 and presented him with the Atatürk International Peace Prize, Erdoğan thanked Guterres, who has demonstrated a principled and consistent attitude against humanitarian crises, especially the genocide in Gaza, from the very beginning.

Reminding that the foundations of the first phase of Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine were laid on March 13 and that they officially opened the 16 service buildings completed, Erdoğan said that they participated in the iftar program organized by the National Will Platform on the same evening.

Stating that they shared the same iftar table with healthcare workers on March 14, when the Medicine Day was celebrated, Erdoğan said, “On March 16, when we realized the Night of Power, which is better than a thousand months, we participated in the grand final of the Quran recitation competition and breathed the same spiritual air with our teachers and hafizes. I congratulate my brothers, the nightingale of the Quran, who give relief to our hearts with their recitations, and complete this beautiful program.” “On behalf of myself and my nation, I would like to thank our TRT family and the Presidency of Religious Affairs, who have successfully brought it to the screens for 10 years.” he said.

Noting that they opened the Hacı İbrahim Demir Mosque in Ankara for worship on March 17, President Erdoğan said, “We have thus brought a new mosque bearing traces of both Seljuk and Ottoman architecture to our capital, which was condemned and forced to use underground mosques for years. It was quite beautiful, thank God.” he said.

Reminding that they hosted journalists and writers in people’s homes on the same day, Erdoğan said:

“On the 111th anniversary of the March 18 Çanakkale Epic, one of the most glorious victories in our history, we met with our education family and watched the ‘Şüheda 1915’ theater play staged in our Social Complex. We came together with our citizens in Rize on the first day of Ramadan Feast. Afterwards, we held the official opening ceremony of Güneysu Tenzile Erdoğan State Hospital. Thank you to both Güneysu district and Rize. “I hope that our hospital, which adds significant value in its field, will be auspicious.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made important statements after the Cabinet Meeting. APP, which has been on the agenda frequently lately, gave messages about license plates and fluctuating oil prices due to the war.

“WE INSTRUCTED OUR MINISTRY OF INTERIOR”

Stating that they thoroughly evaluated many issues from traffic safety to energy, from regional developments to foreign policy, at the Cabinet Meeting, President Erdoğan said, “We have instructed our Ministry of Internal Affairs to manage the implementation process regarding license plate, image and sound systems, which has caused complaints from vehicle owners in recent days, without causing new grievances to our citizens.”

“WE ARE TAKING DIFFERENT MEASURES INTO ACTION”

Stating that they are closely following the fluctuations in the markets caused by the war in Iran, President Erdoğan said, “This global shock, which suddenly increases oil prices, undoubtedly has repercussions on the Turkish economy. We are taking different measures, such as Ecel Mobil, to protect our citizens from this process that negatively affects the whole world.”

Announcing that a Technology Transfer Office (TTO) will be opened in METU with the signed cooperation protocol, Minister of Health Memişoğlu stated that one of the TTOs opened in hospitals under the coordination of TÜSEB within the scope of the “Productive Health” model will be established in a university for the first time.

Minister of Health Memişoğlu stated that Türkiye, as a country that has set an example to the world in health services, is in the process of becoming a country that produces its own technology and can tell the world new things about health, and said, “I especially trust our engineers, scientists, and physicians in this regard and see their success. Hopefully, the fruits of these will emerge gradually. The health industry will be Türkiye’s pride, like the defense industry. We will try to pave the way for our scientists as much as we can on this path.” he said.

“Through TUSEB, we are trying to create an ecosystem that will take the science and ideas of scientists and turn them into commercial products.” Minister Memişoğlu said that for this purpose, they signed a cooperation protocol with METU, which has a culture of saying new things about technology. Talking about the “Productive Health Portal”, Minister of Health Memişoğlu noted that the portal became operational in January 2026 and 390 ideas were entered into the system in 3 months and said, “This actually shows how much infrastructure our people – whether scientists or employees – have in this regard.” he said.

Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu underlined that they will continue to produce and say new things and said, “With the support of our science centers such as METU, we will make the health industry in Türkiye the best health producer and technology in the world. We support the best growth of the health industry under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” he said.

Within the scope of the protocol, which is aimed to contribute to the strengthening of Türkiye’s R&D capacity and international competitiveness in the field of health: Joint scientific research will be carried out in the field of health; R&D projects will be developed; There will be cooperation in the fields of biomedical engineering, biotechnology and digital health technologies; academic staff and researcher exchange programs will be implemented; Educational programs will be organized at undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels; There will be cooperation on joint publication, patent and intellectual property production.

MSU Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan Afyoncu responded to the allegations on the website of journalist Müyesser Yıldız and based on Lawyer Namık Öztürk.

“I DID NOT HAVE AN ACTION OR WORD AS ALLEGEDLY”

Afyoncu, who categorically denied the allegations in the article in question that he made speculative statements towards the Presidency regarding the images from the graduation ceremony, used the following statements:

“Journalist Müyesser Yıldız, in his article published on his website on March 23, 2026, claims that Namık Öztürk, one of the lawyers of Lieutenant Ebru Eroğlu, who was expelled from the Turkish Armed Forces, stated at the hearing that the Rector of the National Defense University, Prof. Dr. Erhan Afyoncu, took photographs and videos of what happened and served these records to the press, and said to the President, “These swords are being drawn on you,” and that he had designed this for the continuation of his rectorate. and some other news sites also quoted this claim. All of the allegations put forward by Müyesser Yıldız based on Namık Öztürk are lies. I did not act or say anything as claimed.

All of the allegations made by Müyesser Yıldız based on Namık Öztürk are lies. I did not act or say anything as claimed. Aside from the fact that there is no such statement by lawyer Namık Öztürk in the documents related to the case and in the minutes of the hearing, the fact that Müyesser Yıldız, who conveyed these untrue allegations, wrote that Namık Öztürk used words such as ‘True, wrong…’ while addressing the court and made groundless accusations against me, that is, he clearly stated that there was an expression of indecision arising from lack of knowledge in his allegations, is proof that what Öztürk said was a lie and slander.”

“Slanders WILL NOT TURN ME FROM THE PATH OF SERVICE TO THE STATE”

Drawing attention to the restructuring process of military education institutions after July 15 in his statement, Afyoncu emphasized that MSÜ has trained 62 thousand officers, non-commissioned officers and staff officers for the Turkish Armed Forces to date.

Underlining that FETO members continue their lies and slander, Afyoncu said the following in his statement:

“Traitor FETO members continue their lies, slanders, smear campaigns and black propaganda, and some people and circles who pretend to be Ataturkists and claim to be fighting FETO are tools for these lies. The slanders will not deter me from the path of serving the Turkish Nation and state. The National Defense University will continue to be affiliated only and exclusively with the Turkish state, as it has been until today, with qualified officers and non-commissioned officers under the command of democracy and the will of the elected nation.” will continue to grow.”