Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Mustafa Sarıgül has denied allegations of appearing in a sex tape circulating on social media, saying the video is a fabrication and part of a campaign of blackmail aiming to intimidate him.
A video allegedly featuring Sarıgül being intimate with another man was shared on X late on Tuesday. Sarıgül responded early Wednesday morning, claiming the video was a fabrication. “We will hold those who slander and threaten me and my family accountable before the judiciary,” Sarıgül said.
Sarıgül announced plans to share forensic analysis reports from criminal experts to substantiate his claim. “The video is a fabrication, blackmail and a threat. We will share the necessary forensic examination reports from Turkey’s most important and reliable criminal experts with the public,” he said.
The controversy evoked memories of a similar incident involving former CHP leader Deniz Baykal.
In 2010 Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu assumed leadership of the CHP after his predecessor, Baykal, resigned following the leak of a genuine video of him engaged in an extramarital affair.
National Criminal Bureau (UKB), a forensic company, had investigated Baykal’s case, comparing his physical morphology with images in the alleged video, ultimately concluding the person in the video was not Baykal. Baykal had called UKB’s findings a rebuttal to smear campaigns at the time.
The same forensic company that had concluded Baykal’s video was a fake has examined Sarıgül’s video and deemed it fabricated.
“Upon the release of this vile video, I approached UKB. Their criminal laboratory examined the video and confirmed it to be a fabrication,” Sarıgül told the Serbestiyet news website.
However, UKB’s credibility has been challenged. In 2010, during the Baykal scandal, allegations surfaced that the company was not listed as an accredited expert institution by the Istanbul Judicial Commission, unlike the company’s claim of being listed as such. Recent claims suggest UKB prepared reports for financial gain. UKB’s lawyer, Turan Fethi Yıldız, defended the organization, saying it was the only private criminal laboratory in Turkey officially accredited for forensic investigations and has provided over 82,000 reports to courts and legal authorities.
“The accusation that UKB issued a false report for money is unfounded and slanderous,” Yıldız told Serbestiyet. “Our organization operates with integrity and professionalism, serving the Turkish judiciary independently of political affiliation.”
The alleged sex tape comes after a similar scandal last year involving Muharrem İnce, a presidential candidate who withdrew from the race following the release of a purported sex tape. The Ankara 19th High Criminal Court rejected an indictment against individuals accused of disseminating the fake footage due to insufficient evidence.