07.08.2026 20:10
The Mayor of Izmir Menderes Municipality, İlkay Çiçek, who was detained as part of a 'bribery' and 'corruption' investigation after explicit messages with his girlfriend surfaced, was referred to court following his proceedings at the prosecutor's office. Çiçek, along with 10 others, was arrested by the court they were brought before.
The Mayor of Menderes, İlkay Çiçek, who was detained in a bribery investigation, has been arrested.
In the investigation into crimes including bribery, extortion, forgery of official documents, abuse of office, and causing zoning pollution against the Menderes Municipality in İzmir, 16 suspects, including Mayor İlkay Çiçek, were referred to the courthouse.
ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR THE MAYOR OF MENDERES
The procedures of the suspects, detained by gendarmerie teams, at the Provincial Gendarmerie Command have been completed. Menderes Mayor İlkay Çiçek and 15 suspects were referred to the courthouse. Çiçek was arrested by the court he was brought before.
Meanwhile, a disciplinary process has been initiated against Menderes Mayor İlkay Çiçek within the Republican People's Party (CHP).
CHP Secretary-General and İzmir Deputy Rıfat Nalbantoğlu announced in a written statement that Çiçek was referred to discipline with a request for 'precautionary definitive expulsion'.
“IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS INCOMPATIBLE WITH PARTY PRINCIPLES”
Nalbantoğlu stated that the decision was made as a result of evaluations conducted in line with the CHP's fundamental principles, party bylaws, and organizational discipline.
The statement included the following expressions:
“As a result of evaluations conducted in line with the fundamental principles of the Republican People's Party, party bylaws, and organizational discipline, it was concluded that the attitudes and behaviors exhibited by Menderes Mayor İlkay Çiçek are incompatible with party principles.”
REQUEST FOR PRECAUTIONARY DEFINITIVE EXPULSION
Nalbantoğlu, stating that a disciplinary process has been initiated against Çiçek in line with this evaluation, said, “In this context, a disciplinary referral process has been initiated against the relevant mayor with a request for 'definitive expulsion' as a precautionary measure.”
Emphasizing that the process will be carried out according to the procedures and principles specified in the CHP Bylaws, Nalbantoğlu stressed that the rule of law and the right to defense will be respected.
“NO BEHAVIOR WILL BE TOLERATED”
Nalbantoğlu, stating that the CHP places its institutional integrity and organizational discipline above personal attitudes, gave the following message:
“The Republican People's Party regards its institutional integrity, organizational discipline, and responsibility towards our people above all personal attitudes. No behavior contrary to our party's principles will be tolerated; our organization's common will and political ethics will be resolutely protected.”
Additionally, the leak of İlkay Çiçek's WhatsApp conversations with his girlfriend became a hot topic in Turkey. Çiçek first defended the messages, which allegedly contained plans to flee abroad with bribery money and highly inappropriate content, by saying they were 'quite human', but later rejected the allegations with a 'artificial intelligence' defense.
EVIDENCE IN THE FILE DISPROVING THE 'ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE' DEFENSE
New evidence and findings showing that the conversations in question were not products of artificial intelligence have been added to the investigation file.
The background of the environment in the photographs allegedly sent by Çiçek to his girlfriend matched the room interior background of the hotel in question and the accommodation records related to the message dates.
In the assessment included in the file, the following statements were included: "As a result of the research conducted regarding the background of the photograph in the WhatsApp conversations, it is evaluated that the background of the photograph is the same as the hotel room of the enterprise named Latanya Hotel located at Kavaklıdere District Büklüm Street Akay Turizm Yatırımları A.Ş. Blok No: 1 Çankaya/Ankara, and it matches the room design of the hotel at the address below."
WHAT HAPPENED?
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a detention decision was issued for 16 people, including Menderes Mayor İlkay Çiçek, on charges of 'establishing an organization to commit crimes', 'being a member of an organization established to commit crimes', 'bribery', 'extortion', 'forgery of official documents', 'abuse of office', and 'causing zoning pollution'. Within the scope of the investigation, an operation was carried out by the gendarmerie at the Menderes Municipality early in the morning on August 4. 15 people, including Mayor İlkay Çiçek, were detained.
CAUGHT WITH THE OPERATION
The deputy mayor and council member Rüzgar Sönmez, who was sought as a fugitive among the suspects, was also captured and detained on August 5 as a result of coordinated efforts by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), police intelligence units, and JASAT teams of the İzmir Provincial Gendarmerie Command. With Sönmez's capture, the number of detained suspects rose to 16.
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MESSAGES REVEALED
Within the scope of the investigation in which Mayor Çiçek was also detained, scandalous WhatsApp messages were published on social media accounts. The sexually explicit messages Çiçek sent to his girlfriend drew reaction.
HERE ARE THOSE SHOCKING CONVERSATIONS
In the message records that emerged, the dialogues in which Mayor Çiçek allegedly planned to flee abroad with his girlfriend using money claimed to be obtained from bribery and confessed that he was conducting municipal affairs through intermediaries were reflected in the media as follows:
His girlfriend: My love, I am very jealous of you. I even envy your wife. Don't neglect the municipality, my love.
İlkay Çiçek: My eyes only see you, baby. Where did you get the municipality from?
His girlfriend: But it's our future, my love. My love, don't expose yourself while trying to save money. I am very scared, my dear.
İlkay Çiçek: Don't worry, let me save a little more money. Let me send you abroad. Abroad, it's just you and me. Don't worry, I run all the affairs through Murat Taşdemir and Rüzgar. I use these fools.