18.07.2025 10:00
In the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), 14 out of 18 suspects, for whom detention orders were issued, have been apprehended. Among those detained is Deniz Erzincan, the brother of artist Erdal Erzincan.
The investigation into the suspects, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his position as the Mayor of Istanbul after his arrest by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, continues regarding the charges of "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "bribery," "extortion," "qualified fraud," "illegally obtaining personal data," and "interfering with a tender."
14 PEOPLE DETAINED
As a result of the evidence obtained in the deepened investigation, the prosecutor's office issued detention orders for 18 suspects on charges of "giving bribes," "receiving bribes," and "interfering with a tender." In the operation initiated by the Financial Crimes Investigation Department of the Istanbul Police Department, 14 suspects were detained. Efforts are ongoing to locate 4 suspects.
ERDAL ERZİNCAN'S BROTHER ALSO DETAINED
Among those detained is Deniz Erzincan, the brother of master artist Erdal Erzincan.
Here are the names of those detained:
- Erdinç Karataş
- Ahmet Kudu
- Erdal Günaydın
- Muzaffer Hacımustafaoğlu
- Can Karataş
- Abdullah Karataş
- Metin Demirci
- Oktay Nuri Çelik
- Ali Haydar Özkazanç
- Murat Timuçin Altıer
- Deniz Erzincan
- Ali Cüneyt Özdemir
- Gülşen Çokyiğit
- Taylan Çokyiğit
97 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED SO FAR
In the investigation into the corruption allegations against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, 97 people have been arrested to date. Judicial control measures have been applied to 206 people who were detained in the investigation.
73 NAMES BENEFITED FROM EFFECTIVE REMORSE
Within the scope of the investigation, 73 suspects, 41 of whom are in custody, applied to the prosecutor's office and provided statements under the provisions of effective remorse.
The detained suspects who provided statements under the provisions of effective remorse are as follows:
"Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culture Inc. General Manager Murat Abbas, Chairman of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Participation and Affiliated Institutions Commission Ertan Yıldız, businessmen Ali Nuhoğlu, Adem Soytekin, Seyfi Beyaz, Ahmet Sari, İsmail Sari, Ahmet Çiçek, Eyüp Subaşı, Noyan Kırmızıgül, Murat İlbak, Muhittin Palazoğlu, Kabil Taşçı, Mehmet İlhan Gülay, Nezahat Kurt, Berat Çağrı Kapki, İhsan Mengir, Yücel Mengir, Dinçer Kantar, Alaeddin Vardar, and Fikret Baydemir, suspect Servet Yıldırım, who is the driver of detained suspect Hüseyin Köksal, lawyer Süleyman Atik, construction technician Altan Gözcü, accounting manager Murat Bıyık, advertiser Hüseyin Kum, owners of Yapı Merkez İnşaat Mustafa Başar Arıoğlu, Erdem Arıoğlu, and Özge Arıoğlu, Ogün Soytekin, brother of detained suspect Adem Soytekin, and his bodyguard Murat Erenler, Şeyhmus Sarıboğa, Güngör Gürman, Hasan Özsoy, Taner Gümüş, Kadir Gümüş, Bülent Yılmaz, former CHP Şişli Municipal Council Member Umut Şenol, Chairman of the Board of Directors of İSTAÇ Ziya Gökmen Togay, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Geodesist Yakup Öner, and lawyer Orçun Muhittin Yılmaz."
Of the 41 detained suspects who provided statements, 39 were released. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Geodesist Yakup Öner and lawyer Orçun Muhittin Yılmaz were not released on the grounds that their statements were insufficient for clarifying the investigation.
Some suspects who are still detained in the investigation are as follows:
"Former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Advisor and MEDYA A.Ş. Board Chairman Murat Ongun, General Manager of İmamoğlu Construction Company Tuncay Yılmaz, President of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club Fatih Keleş, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Press and Public Relations Department Head Taner Çetin, KİPTAŞ Board Chairman Ali Kurt, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Road Maintenance and Infrastructure Coordination Department Head Seyfullah Demirel, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Private Secretary Kadriye Kasapoğlu, Ekrem İmamoğlu's bodyguard Mustafa Akın, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Muhtarlık Affairs Department Head Yavuz Saltık, former CHP Member of Parliament Aykut Erdoğdu, General Manager of Ağaç A.Ş. Ali Sukas, Beylikdüzü Deputy Mayor Veysel Erçevik, and İmamoğlu's lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan."
NUMBER OF SUSPECTS IN THE FILE IS 312
In the investigations conducted since March, the number of suspects has risen to 312. Of these names, 303 have been detained. Currently, 97 people are in custody in the investigation, while judicial control measures have been applied to 206. Efforts to capture 9 individuals, including Emrah Bağdatlı and businessman Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, are ongoing.