21.03.2025 08:00
The processes at the police station for İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu and the 87 individuals in custody are ongoing. As statements are being taken, a noteworthy development has occurred in the investigation. It has been reported that documents were provided to the prosecutors conducting the investigation by members of the CHP and those who participated in the tender, which has allowed the judicial authorities to possess very detailed information. Additionally, it has been noted that there are confessions in the investigation.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched investigations against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) President Ekrem İmamoğlu and 99 suspects for crimes including "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "bribery," "qualified fraud," "illegally obtaining personal data," and "interfering with a tender." Additionally, investigations have been initiated against 7 suspects, including İmamoğlu, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, for the crime of "aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization."
STATEMENTS ARE BEING TAKEN
In the operation carried out following detention orders, 87 suspects, including IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, IMM Advisor Murat Ongun, Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, and singer Ercan Saatçi, were captured and brought to the Istanbul Police Department's Vatan Campus for their statements.
Efforts to capture 19 suspects are still ongoing.
"DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED BY CHP MEMBERS"
While the repercussions of the operation initiated due to corruption and terrorism allegations continue, TGRT News Ankara Representative Fatih Atik stated that the prosecutors have very detailed information, which was obtained through MASAK records, account movements, and numerous confessions. Atik said, "We know that the information was provided by CHP members or those who participated in the tender."
"INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS WERE TRANSFERRED BY THEIR OWN PARTY MEMBERS"
President Erdoğan, in a speech yesterday, stated that the documents were provided by CHP members, saying, "The opposition's effort to portray their internal conflicts or legal troubles as the country's most important issue is the height of hypocrisy. They are aware that most of this information and these documents were transferred to the judiciary by their own party members."
Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows:
"The old saying goes, 'A lie travels around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.' Turkey is perhaps the most dynamic country in the world, waking up to new agendas every day. Some of these agendas consist of artificially inflated issues. The opposition is trying to present their internal conflicts or their struggles with the law as the country's problem.
Their ambitions have practically taken over their minds. The CHP, its media, and the opposition cannot respond to the allegations put forth by the judiciary regarding either the diploma issue or the corruption and theft issue.
They resort to deceiving the public. If they said that this diploma was obtained in accordance with the procedure, or if they said that there is no injustice or corruption in the municipality, it would still be possible to discuss this through experts. But they do not do this; they cannot do it.
Because they know best that these are true. Most of the CHP executives are celebrating behind closed doors because they have eliminated their rivals. Most of the documents brought to the judiciary were delivered by their own party members. We have no time to waste on the opposition's theatrics, either personally or as a party. We are only focused on our work and our goals."
MURAT ONGUN'S ASSETS SEIZED
As part of the investigation, the assets of Murat Ongun, Chairman of the Board of Media A. Ş., who was detained, have been seized.
IMM Advisor and Chairman of the Board of IMM Media AŞ, Murat Ongun, along with some suspects including Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık and Ali Nuhoğlu, were subjected to a health check at the Istanbul Medical Faculty annex building near the Istanbul Police Department's Vatan Campus.
It was learned that Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was detained as part of two investigations, also underwent a health check at the same location.
In the corruption investigation, it was reported that 83 suspects, including IMM President İmamoğlu, were detained, 10 suspects were at large, and 7 suspects were identified as being abroad.
In the investigation regarding aiding the PKK/KCK, it was determined that 4 out of 7 suspects, including İmamoğlu, were detained, while 3 suspects were at large.
İMAMOĞLU CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN SEIZED
It was announced that İmamoğlu Construction Trade and Industry Joint Stock Company has been seized as part of the investigation.
The statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is as follows;
"In the investigation file numbered 2024/228233 by our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office;
On 19/03/2025, based on the MASAK reports obtained as part of the investigation, the İMAMOĞLU CONSTRUCTION TRADE AND INDUSTRY JOINT STOCK COMPANY, in which suspect Ekrem İmamoğlu is a partner, has been seized by the decision of the peace criminal court upon the request of our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. It is announced to the public..."
Information regarding the company was included in the MASAK report.
According to the findings reflected in the report, it was stated that İmamoğlu Construction, of which 60% of the shares belong to Ekrem İmamoğlu and 40% to his father Hasan İmamoğlu, acquired 117 properties, including 19 shops, 19 residences, 63 apartments, 8 offices, 6 bureaus, and 2 plots of land, between December 8, 2020, and December 11, 2023. It was noted that the source of these properties and the increase in money over 3 years is unclear.
According to witness statements taken in the investigation, it was alleged that the Chairman of the IMM Council Participation Related Organizations Commission, fugitive suspect Ertan Yıldız, and detained suspect Süleyman Atik threatened the owners of the complainant Capacity AVM, saying, "You have earned enough here for 15 years; give us 5 million euros, otherwise we will get a decision from the municipality council stating that the shopping mall is earthquake-resistant."
It was also included in the witness statements that suspect Atik threatened the complainants by saying, "You wouldn't want to confront someone who will be the President in 2 years."
In the investigation, it was claimed that after the bribery offer to the shopping mall owners, the municipality imposed a fine of 197 million lira due to the complainants' failure to pay.
It was alleged that a report was obtained stating that the shopping mall was not earthquake-resistant, and the Administrative Court issued a stay of execution regarding the fine, while it was claimed that the municipality unlawfully imposed the fine because it could not receive the bribe.
HE HID HIS CELL PHONE IN HIS WIFE'S BAG
On the other hand, it was learned that fugitive suspect Ertan Yıldız was aware of the investigation against him and had hidden his cell phone in his wife's bag to create the appearance of being at home.
Yıldız, who resorted to this method to evade police surveillance and previously had a travel ban, is believed to have escaped through another entrance of the site where he lived, avoiding capture and fleeing abroad illegally.
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OVER 200 IRREGULAR TENDER DETECTED
Upon the instruction of the chief prosecutor, teams from the Financial Crimes Investigation Department of the Istanbul Police conducted technical and physical surveillance for 2 months.
During the investigation, 6 reports were prepared by MASAK, and as a result of the work carried out, it was determined that there were irregularities in over 200 tenders of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, including concerts, advertisements, and outdoor advertisements.
Furthermore, it has been learned that İmamoğlu, who has an arrest warrant in the investigation initiated for the crime of "aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization," will have his statement taken by the teams of the Istanbul Counter-Terrorism Department at the Financial Crimes Investigation Department regarding this investigation.
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