Statement from the Ministry of Interior Regarding Mahmut Yıldırım

However, Sözcü newspaper columnist Saygı Öztürk wrote in his column today that he was called by someone who claimed, "I am Yeşil." The individual, whose identity as Yeşil could not be confirmed, told Öztürk that he "had stayed in Azerbaijan for a long time and was now staying with a trusted Ülkücü (Turkish far-right political movement) friend in Syria, close to the Turkish border." The Ministry of Interior announced that the person who called was an individual named C.A.

Sözcü newspaper columnist Saygı Öztürk wrote in his column today that Mahmut Yıldırım, code-named "Yeşil" , whose name has been linked to many unsolved murders for years and whose existence is not definitively known, called him by phone.

Saygı wrote, "The person who called me from our newspaper’s switchboard around 1:30 PM on December 9, 2025, could not speak to me because I was unavailable. They called again half an hour later. They said, 'I am Yeşil.' Of course, 'Yeşil,' known by this code name, was Mahmut Yıldırım, registered in the population of Solhan district of Bingöl, written and spoken about as being involved in every incident in the Southeast. But whether the person who called was really Mahmut Yıldırım, or someone else using his name, I cannot know. I directed some questions about past news reports I wrote to verify if he was truly 'Yeşil'."

Saygı Öztürk's article about "Yeşil," whose name has repeatedly surfaced in Turkey's dark murders but whose presence or absence has never been confirmed, is as follows:

"Mahmut Yıldırım, known by the code name 'Yeşil,' was one of the foremost figures whose name was always highlighted in connection with unsolved murders in the Southeast. He worked for the gendarmerie for a period, for MIT (National Intelligence Organization) for another, and the Police Department for another. He was said to roam the Southeast in a white Toros brand vehicle. Some said he was called 'Yeşil' because he wore a green parka, while others said it was because he loved the dollar so much. It was recorded in official documents that he kidnapped two Iranian individuals, forcibly took their money, and withdrew that money with a fake ID from the Heykel branch of a bank in Ankara.

In 1997, Mahmut Yıldırım was called from a public institution while sleeping at home. No news has been received from him since that day. News reports occasionally surfaced about him being alive, even being seen in Ankara. However, neither his life nor his death has been proven. In the years when Yeşil was rumored to be dead, the Intelligence Department of the General Directorate of Security obtained information that Yeşil was alive. According to the information they acquired, Yeşil had gone abroad at that time.

Telephone Connection

"The person who called me from our newspaper’s switchboard around 1:30 PM on December 9, 2025, could not speak to me because I was unavailable. They called again half an hour later. They said, 'I am Yeşil.' Of course, 'Yeşil,' known by this code name, was Mahmut Yıldırım, registered in the population of Solhan district of Bingöl, written and spoken about as being involved in every incident in the Southeast.

But whether the person who called was really Mahmut Yıldırım, or someone else using his name, I cannot know. I directed some questions about past news reports I wrote to verify if he was truly 'Yeşil.' He said he was born in 1953, had a liver transplant, and that his health condition was not good. He stated that the liver transplant was performed under a different name, and he gave the name of a famous person who helped him in this matter. He mentioned that he stayed in Azerbaijan for a long time and is now staying with a trusted Idealist friend in Syria, close to the Turkish border.

Assassination Attempt on Öcalan

Retired Major Cem Ersever was rumored to have been murdered by Yeşil. The person claiming to be 'Yeşil' said, 'The rumors that I killed him are completely like the Köroğlu legend.' While stating that he did many things but never betrayed anyone, he claimed that he experienced one of the biggest betrayals in Syria. Yeşil stated the following:

'Yes, we were going to kill Abdullah Öcalan with a car bomb at his house in Damascus. In this incident, there was a woman, two first lieutenants, a person whose name I do not want to mention who was brought from Bursa Special Type Prison, and another friend with me. While it was possible to eliminate Abdullah Öcalan there, we were betrayed. It was an unsuccessful assassination attempt. The entire plan was ruined when the Syrian intermediary helping us parked the vehicle far away.'

Did he want to announce that he was alive?

He stated that he came to Turkey for a period, thinking there was no trace left of his old appearance, and claimed that he was caught while in Konya. The person identifying as Yeşil claimed, 'I was released upon an order given to them.' He did not say who gave that order. The person, who stated that he always saw the support of the late Teoman Koman, former Undersecretary of MIT and Commander General of the Gendarmerie, also noted that the rumors about his strained relationship with Abdullah Çatlı were untrue. Yeşil continued:

'During the fight against the PKK, the Hizbullah organization was particularly supported by the state in provinces and districts and used against the PKK. The establishment of Hizbullah at that time was a success. The PKK suffered very great casualties.'

I asked his son's name. He told me. However, he had negative words about him. I asked 'Yeşil,' who stated that his current location is known by the state, if he would come to Turkey, and he added that he had to hang up and would call again another time.

As I mentioned at the beginning, there are different estimations regarding whether 'Yeşil' is alive or dead. However, there is no information in official documents about him being either dead or alive. I did not understand if Yeşil wanted to let someone know that he was alive..."

Ministry of Interior Statement

The Ministry of Interior issued a statement regarding journalist Saygı Öztürk's column about being called by Mahmut Yıldırım, known as "Yeşil." It was shared that the call in question was made by an inmate named C.A. from an open prison. The Ministry did not share the name of the prison but stated that C.A. had a criminal record for "murder, intentional injury, and damage to property."