11.09.2025 21:21
A decision has been made regarding former Manavgat Mayor Şükrü Sözen and his brother Fatih Sözen, who were detained as part of an ongoing investigation. The Sözen brothers were arrested by the magistrate judge after their statements to the prosecutor's office.
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Former Manavgat Mayor Şükrü Sözen and his brother Fatih Sözen were arrested by the court they were brought before.
As part of the 'bribery' and 'corruption' investigation conducted by the Manavgat Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the Manavgat Municipality, a warrant was issued for the arrest of former Mayor Şükrü Sözen based on the evidence obtained recently.
CAUGHT WHILE TRYING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
Şükrü Sözen was detained by police teams at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the evening of September 7 and brought to Antalya. As part of the investigation, Şükrü Sözen's brother Fatih Sözen was also detained.
DECISION TO ARREST WAS MADE
The procedures for former Manavgat Mayor Şükrü Sözen and his brother Fatih Sözen, who were detained and referred to the courthouse as part of the ongoing investigation against them, have been completed. The Sözen brothers were arrested by the magistrate judge after their statements to the prosecutor's office.
THE ALLEGATIONS ARE QUITE SERIOUS
On the other hand, details of the investigation that led to the arrest of the Sözen brothers have also emerged. On August 27, F.B., B.B., and Ç.B. reported to the Manavgat Chief Public Prosecutor's Office that they were the owners of an event organization company, and that their partner Ö.E. had colluded with Şükrü Sözen to obtain financial benefits by manipulating tenders under the guise of 'organization' for about 10 years, with half of the money going to Şükrü Sözen. They stated that E.B., who had no official duty, collected cash from various stands set up in the area where the events were held, and that A.U., who worked in the accounting department of Ö.E.'s company, organized these irregular transactions. It was noted that former municipal employee A.Ö. also witnessed E.B.'s collection of money from the stands.
ALL TENDERS WENT TO THAT COMPANY
As part of the investigation initiated based on the allegations, large amounts of cash, valuable wristwatches, and digital materials were seized during searches of the homes and workplaces of E.B., Ö.E., and A.U. It was requested from the Manavgat Municipality the tenders that the mentioned company participated in, and as a result of the examination, it was determined that almost all tenders related to organization work were awarded to this company.
In the examination of the files, it was found that the company submitted price offers close to the lower limit of the municipality for the tender amounts, and that the tender remained with this company due to other companies submitting high prices. It was also determined that the companies submitting offers were the same in every tender. It was found that K.T. and F.K., the owners of the companies that participated in the tender, admitted that they submitted the price determined by Ö.E. as their offer. E.B., Ö.E., and A.U., who were detained on August 31 as part of the investigation, were arrested.
ALLEGATION: 'SHARES WERE TRANSFERRED UNDER THREAT'
M.A.F. and S.Ç., who applied to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on September 4, stated that they had been partners with Ö.B. since the construction of a hotel in the district, and that Şükrü Sözen did not want S.Ç. in the hotel. They claimed that due to the pressures from Fatih Sözen and Ö.B. and S.Ç.'s refusal to leave the partnership, a penalty was imposed on the hotel by the Manavgat Municipality, and as a result, in 2018, S.Ç. transferred his share to M.A.F. M.A.F. and S.Ç. alleged that due to the threats and pressures from Fatih Sözen and Ö.B., the Manavgat Municipality decided to demolish the hotel in February 2024, sent a municipal excavator to the hotel for demolition, and that due to the intimidation of the landowners of the hotel built under the build-operate-transfer model, M.A.F. transferred 17% of his shares to Ö.B. at a price much lower than the value at that time, in equal shares. It was determined that the transfer transactions mentioned in the statements of M.A.F. and S.Ç. were accurate.
ALLEGATION: 'BRIBERY WAS GIVEN TO AVOID PENALTIES'
On the other hand, it was determined that a suspect named A.C. gave a bribe to Fatih Sözen to avoid penalties for zoning violations at his hotel during Şükrü Sözen's term, and that he was not penalized as a result. It was also found that when he was asked for a bribe again during Nefi Kara's term, A.C. stated that he had already given a bribe in the previous term, and later, a large fine was imposed on his hotel during Nefi Kara's term, according to witness statements.
LARGE AMOUNTS OF CASH AND VALUABLE ITEMS SEIZED
It was recorded that large amounts of cash and valuable items were seized during searches of the homes of Şükrü Sözen and his brother Fatih Sözen as part of the investigation. It was stated that efforts to capture Ö.B., who is wanted in connection with the incident, are ongoing.
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