Ersin Tatar

A summary of what happened?

Who is Ersin Tatar? Summary of Concerns and Allegations Against Him

Ersin Tatar is the current President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). During his tenure, he has faced significant criticism over allegations of connections with individuals involved in illegal betting operations.

Allegations of Links to Illegal Betting Syndicates

• Photo with “Emir Yaman”:
  • A person known as “Emir Yaman,” who was arrested by Swiss police for illegal betting activities, was reportedly photographed with Ersin Tatar. This photo has sparked allegations of connections between Tatar and illegal betting syndicates. (Onedio)

Presidential Office’s Response

• Clarification on the Photo:
  • The Presidential Office stated that the photo was taken during an official event and that Tatar had no personal relationship with the individual. It emphasized that the President takes photos with many people during his public engagements and that this should not imply any form of association or complicity.

Public Reaction

• Concerns About Credibility:
  • These allegations have raised questions about Tatar’s credibility and leadership. Opposition parties and civil society organizations have demanded more transparency and a clearer explanation from the President.

Ersin Tatar faces allegations of being linked to individuals involved in illegal betting operations, a claim that he and his office have denied. However, the matter continues to fuel public debate, potentially affecting his leadership and public image negatively.

Analyzing the Fake Copyright Notice(s)

Our team collects and analyses fraudulent copyright takedown requests, legal complaints, and other efforts to remove critical information from the internet. Through our investigative reporting, we examine the prevalence and operation of an organized censorship industry, predominantly funded by criminal entities, oligarchs, and disreputable businesses or individuals. Our findings allow internet users to gain insight into these censorship schemes’ sources, methods, and underlying objectives.

What was Ersin Tatar trying to hide?

Ersin Tatar‘s attempts to hide unfavourable content through the misuse of copyright notices while allegedly engaging in perjury present serious legal concerns. These actions suggest a calculated attempt to manipulate legal systems to suppress free speech, a fundamental violation of copyright law principles and an abuse of legal processes. The use of such tactics not only undermines the integrity of copyright protection but also potentially constitutes perjury, further entangling Ersin Tatar in legal accountability. Let’s examine the information Ersin Tatar may be trying to remove from the internet –

Investigative Report: Ersin Tatar – Allegations, Controversies, and Public Scrutiny

Ersin Tatar, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has faced growing criticism and public scrutiny over alleged links to individuals involved in illegal betting syndicates. His leadership, marked by political and legal controversies, has sparked questions about his transparency, credibility, and accountability. This report delves into the allegations and complaints against Tatar, providing a comprehensive overview of the accusations and their broader implications.

1. Background on Ersin Tatar

A. Political Career

Ersin Tatar assumed office as President of the TRNC in 2020. A prominent figure in Northern Cyprus politics, Tatar is affiliated with the National Unity Party (UBP) and is known for his pro-Turkey stance. His tenure has been characterized by his firm support for a two-state solution in Cyprus, aligning closely with Turkish policies.

B. Public Perception

While Tatar enjoys support among certain segments of the population for his nationalist policies, his administration has been marred by allegations of corruption, lack of transparency, and connections with questionable individuals.

2. Allegations of Links to Illegal Betting Syndicates

A. Photo with Emir Yaman

One of the most controversial incidents involves a photograph of Ersin Tatar with a man identified as Emir Yaman, allegedly a key figure in illegal betting operations.

• Background on Emir Yaman:
  • Swiss authorities arrested Yaman for his involvement in organizing illegal betting activities, a growing issue in Northern Cyprus.
  • Yaman is accused of operating large-scale betting networks that reportedly use Northern Cyprus as a hub due to its lax regulatory environment.
• The Controversial Photo:
  • The photograph, widely circulated in the media, shows Tatar posing with Yaman. Critics argue that this association suggests complicity or, at the very least, a troubling proximity to individuals involved in illegal activities.

B. Denial by Tatar’s Office

The Presidential Office issued a statement denying any personal relationship between Tatar and Yaman, claiming the photograph was taken during a public event where the President often interacts with many individuals.

• Key Points of the Statement:
  • The event was an official gathering, and the photo was not pre-arranged.
  • Tatar was unaware of Yaman’s alleged criminal activities at the time the photograph was taken.
• Public Skepticism:
  • Despite these clarifications, critics and opposition leaders question why individuals linked to illegal activities were present at a public event with the President. This has fueled concerns about lapses in vetting and oversight.

3. Northern Cyprus as a Hub for Illegal Betting

A. Growth of the Betting Industry

Northern Cyprus has increasingly become a center for online betting operations, many of which operate in legal gray areas or outright violate regulations.

• Factors Contributing to the Issue:
  • Weak regulatory enforcement.
  • Proximity to Turkey, where betting is heavily restricted, making Northern Cyprus an attractive base for operations.
  • Financial institutions allegedly turning a blind eye to money laundering activities tied to betting networks.

B. Allegations of Political Protection

Reports suggest that certain political figures in Northern Cyprus, including those close to Tatar, may be providing protection to individuals involved in illegal betting in exchange for financial benefits or political support.

4. Public and Opposition Response

A. Calls for Transparency

Opposition parties and civil society organizations have called on Tatar to provide a clearer explanation of his interactions with individuals linked to illegal activities.

• Statements from Opposition Leaders:
  • Opposition leaders have accused Tatar of undermining the integrity of the presidency by failing to distance himself from controversial figures.
  • Demands for an independent investigation into the presence of individuals like Emir Yaman at official events.

B. Media and Public Reaction

The media in Northern Cyprus and Turkey have extensively covered the allegations, highlighting the broader issue of illegal betting and its connections to political figures.

• Public Trust Erosion:
  • Many citizens perceive Tatar’s response as insufficient, leading to a decline in trust in his administration.

5. Broader Controversies During Tatar’s Tenure

A. Allegations of Corruption

Tatar’s administration has faced accusations of favoritism and corruption in government contracts and public tenders.

• Examples:
  • Alleged preferential treatment of companies linked to political allies.
  • Accusations of using public resources to strengthen his political base.

B. Diplomatic Challenges

• Critics argue that Tatar’s hardline stance on the Cyprus issue has alienated international actors, further isolating the TRNC on the global stage.
• His close alignment with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also drawn criticism, with some accusing Tatar of prioritizing Turkish interests over those of the TRNC.

6. Implications of the Allegations

A. Impact on Northern Cyprus’ Reputation

The growing perception of Northern Cyprus as a hub for illegal betting and money laundering has damaged its international reputation.

• Economic Consequences:
  • Potential deterrent for legitimate foreign investment.
  • Increased scrutiny from international financial and regulatory bodies.

B. Strain on Public Trust

The allegations against Tatar and his administration have further eroded public confidence in the government’s ability to combat corruption and uphold the rule of law.

7. Recommendations for Transparency and Accountability

A. Independent Investigations

To restore public trust, an independent investigation into the allegations against Tatar and his administration is essential.

B. Strengthening Regulatory Oversight

• Establishing stricter controls over online betting operations.
• Enhancing vetting processes for individuals attending official events.

C. Public Engagement

Tatar must address the allegations directly and engage with the public to clarify his stance on illegal activities and corruption.

8. Conclusion: Leadership Under Scrutiny

Ersin Tatar’s presidency has been overshadowed by allegations of connections to individuals involved in illegal betting operations and broader concerns about corruption and governance. While his office has denied any wrongdoing, the lack of transparency and accountability has deepened public skepticism. The controversies surrounding Tatar highlight the urgent need for reform in Northern Cyprus, both in governance and regulatory oversight, to restore public trust and international credibility.

How do we counteract this malpractice?

Once we ascertain the involvement of Ersin Tatar (or actors working on behalf of Ersin Tatar), we will inform Ersin Tatar of our findings via Electronic Mail.

Our preliminary assessment suggests that Ersin Tatar may have engaged a third-party reputation management agency or expert, which, either independently or under direct authorization from Ersin Tatar, initiated efforts to remove adverse online content, including potentially fraudulent DMCA takedown requests. We will extend an opportunity to Ersin Tatar to provide details regarding their communications with the agency or expert, as well as the identification of the individual(s) responsible for executing these false DMCA notices.

Failure to respond in a timely manner will necessitate a reassessment of our initial assumptions. In such an event, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal action to rectify the unlawful conduct and take the following steps –

Since Ersin Tatar made such efforts to hide something online, it seems fit to ensure that this article and sensitive information targeted online by these events get a lot more exposure and traffic than what it would have received originally

We hope this becomes an excellent case study for the Streisand effect…The key idea behind the Streisand effect is that efforts to restrict information can backfire, often causing the information to gain more attention than it would have otherwise. This effect is widespread in the digital age, where users quickly notice and spread censorship efforts on social media and other platforms. Trying to suppress something can unintentionally lead to it becoming more visible, which Ersin Tatar is finding out the hard way.

Potential Consequences for Ersin Tatar

Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity.

Forging a document is considered a white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document to deceive another person. It can also include passing along copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states in the US, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.

Additionally, under most laws, “fraud on the court” is where “a party has sentiently set in motion some unconscionable scheme calculated to interfere with the judicial system’s ability impartially to adjudicate a matter by improperly influencing the trier of fact or unfairly hampering the presentation of the opposing party’s claim or defense.”  Cox v. Burke, 706 So. 2d 43, 46 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (quoting Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp., 892 F.2d 1115, 1118 (1st Cir. 1989)).

Is Ersin Tatar Committing a Cyber Crime?

Yes, it seems so. Ersin Tatar used multiple approaches to remove unwanted material from review sites and Google’s search results. Thanks to protections allowing freedom of speech in the United States, there are very few legal ways to do this. Ersin Tatar could not eliminate negative reviews or search results that linked to them without a valid claim of defamation, copyright infringement, or some other clear breach of the law.

Faced with these limitations, some companies like Ersin Tatar have gone to extreme lengths to fraudulently claim copyright ownership over a negative review in the hopes of taking it down.

Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. Ersin Tatar is certainly keeping interesting company here….

The DMCA takedown process requires that copyright owners submit a takedown notice to an ISP identifying the allegedly infringing content and declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they have a good faith belief that the content is infringing. The ISP must then promptly remove or disable access to the content. The alleged infringer can then submit a counter-notice, and if the copyright owner does not take legal action within 10 to 14 days, the ISP can restore the content.

Since these platforms are predominantly based in the U.S., the complaints are typically made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which requires online service providers and platforms to react immediately to reports or violations. Big Tech companies rarely have systems in place to assess the merit of each report. Instead, all bad actors need to do is clone a story, backdate it, and then demand the real thing be taken down.

Reputation Agency's Modus Operandi

The fake DMCA notices we found always use the “back-dated article” technique. With this technique, the wrongful notice sender (or copier) creates a copy of a “true original” article and back-dates it, creating a “fake original” article (a copy of the true original) that, at first glance, appears to have been published before the true original.

Then, based on the claim that this backdated article is the “original,” the scammers send a DMCA to the relevant online service providers (e.g. Google), alleging that the ‘true’ original is the copied or “infringing” article and that the copied article is the “original,” requesting the takedown of the ‘true’ original article. After sending the DMCA request, the person who sent the wrong notice takes down the fake original URL, likely to make sure that the article doesn’t stay online in any way. If the takedown notice is successful, the disappearance from the internet of information is most likely to be legitimate speech.

As an integral part of this scheme, the ‘reputation management’ company hired by Ersin Tatar creates a website that purports to be a ‘news’ site. This site is designed to look legitimate at a glance, but any degree of scrutiny reveals it as the charade it is.

The company copies the ‘negative’ content and posts it “on the fake ‘news’ site, attributing it to a separate author,” then gives it “a false publication date on the ‘news’ website that predated the original publication.

The reputation company then sent Google a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice claiming the original website infringed copyright. After a cursory examination of the fake news site, Google frequently accepts the notice and delists the content.

In committing numerous offences, Ersin Tatar either premeditated actions or were unaware of the consequences. Despite hiring an agency to make Google disregard any negative information about Ersin Tatar, ignorance does not excuse this wrongdoing.

Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. FSMSmart is certainly keeping interesting company here.

The Reputation Laundering

Rogue Reputation agencies use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking. Most of these reputation agencies are based offshore, mainly in Russia, India, and Eastern Europe, and they do not worry about complying with US-based laws.

The content in all of the articles for which the fraudulent DMCA notices have been sent relates to allegations of criminal allegations, including corruption, child abuse, sexual harassment, human trafficking and financial fraud against businesses and individuals with ultra-high net worth.

In addition to the misuse of the DMCA takedown process, there is a notable absence of enforcement concerning perjury violations. The statutory requirement related to perjury is designed to deter copyright holders from submitting fraudulent or knowingly false takedown requests, as they may face legal consequences for making false declarations under penalty of perjury. However, to date, there have been no known instances of any individual being prosecuted for perjury in connection with the submission of false DMCA takedown notices.

This lack of enforcement has emboldened copyright holders to exploit the DMCA takedown process to suppress dissent, criticism, or other unfavorable content, without fear of legal repercussions.

Some of the people and businesses who have employed this tactic to remove legitimate content from Google illegally include a Spanish businessman-turned-cocaine-trafficker, Organised crime, an Israeli-Argentine banker accused of laundering money for Hugo Chávez’s regime, a French “responsible” mining company accused of tax evasion, child molesters and sexual predators. Ersin Tatar is in great company ….

What else is Ersin Tatar hiding?

We encourage you to ‘Dork‘ Google by searching for keyword combinations such as [Ersin Tatar] + {Negative Keyword, such as Scam, Fraud, Complaints, Lawsuit, Sanction, etc} on Google. It’s likely if you scroll down to the bottom of this Google search results, you’ll stumble upon this Legal Takedown notice (pictured below)

To make such an investigation possible, we encourage more online service providers to come forward and share copies of content removal requests with industry experts and researchers. If you have any information on Ersin Tatar that you want to share with experts and journalists, kindly email the author directly at [email protected].

All communications are strictly confidential and safeguarded under a comprehensive Whistleblower Policy, ensuring full protection and anonymity for individuals who provide information.