New voice recordings emerge of Turkish PM’s family, close businessmen

Eyüp SERBEST HÜRRİYET / ISTANBUL

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Four more voice recordings incriminating Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his family and close businessmen emerged Feb. 27, as repercussions continue to unfold from alleged phone conversations between Erdoğan and his son that leaked onto the Internet this week.

In the recording of the call, apparently made in the wake of the Dec. 17 graft investigation, the prime minister and his son Bilal Erdoğan can be heard desperately trying to hide considerable amounts of cash.
The first voice recording allegedly features Bilal Erdoğan speaking with a university friend about buying four small islands on the Aegean Sea in order to invest in wind energy.

Another recording allegedly features the prime minister’s eldest daughter, Esra Albayrak, and his son-in-law, as the two discuss urgently buying a paper shredder on Dec. 17, hours after the sons of three ex-ministers were detained in a massive graft probe.

The third disclosed voice recording is a phone conversation between two businessmen over the controversial acquisition of daily Sabah and private broadcaster ATV.

Earlier leaks indicated that Erdoğan instructed ex-Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım to tell a group of businessmen to buy both media outlets by creating a pool to collect the necessary amount of money.
In the new recordings, one businessman speaks about the pressure he personally faced, saying he got such a scolding after refusing one of Erdoğan’s demands that he had to restart smoking.

A last conversation features Ethem Sancak, a businessman who ultimately bought two media outlets, and Habertürk media group executive Fatih Saraç, who became notoriously known as “Alo Fatih” after yet another leaked conversation between himself and Erdoğan.