19.03.2025 08:30
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office made a statement regarding the operation in which detention orders were issued for 100 suspects, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, on various charges. The statement indicated that bribery and embezzlement were detected in the participations, and referred to Ekrem İmamoğlu as the leader of a criminal organization.
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An arrest warrant has been issued for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Police teams conducted a search at Ekrem İmamoğlu's home. Following the search, İmamoğlu was taken into custody. İmamoğlu was taken for a health check after the search at his home in Sarıyer, Istanbul.
TWO SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS
It was stated that the operation involving more than 100 people is related to Media A. Ş. tenders, urban reconciliation, and a terrorism investigation. The statements indicate that two separate investigations have been initiated against İmamoğlu and the defendants.
The first investigation is related to the structure called "Urban Reconciliation." In this investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, İBB Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, and Şişli Mayor Resul Ekrem Şahan.
The second investigation is related to corruption allegations. In this investigation, it was alleged that İmamoğlu placed individuals he worked with during his tenure as the Mayor of Beylikdüzü into İBB and that they received contracts at prices significantly above their value by submitting high-priced bids for the services of companies such as Meyda A. Ş. and Kültür A. Ş., which are subsidiaries of the Metropolitan Municipality. It was also stated that bribes were demanded from many active businesses, and those who did not accept were forcibly extorted based on decisions obtained from the Municipal Councils.
STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
In a statement made by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated:
"Our Public Prosecutor's Office, through the Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau, is conducting an investigation regarding the activities of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, primarily aimed at increasing its effectiveness in metropolitan cities, particularly in Istanbul, through the urban reconciliation activities implemented in the local elections held on 31.03.2024."
It was determined that the leaders of the terrorist organization, CUMA (K) Cemil BAYIK and HÜSEYİN AVAREŞ (K) Mustafa KARASU, conveyed their views and instructions to the terrorist organization through media affiliated with the organization before the elections.
It was found that Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu formed an alliance with the PKK's Democratic Congress of Peoples (HDK) structure based on urban reconciliation, and this was announced by media affiliated with the terrorist organization. According to reports from the General Directorate of Security's Anti-Terror Department, the HDK structure, which was identified as having formed an alliance before the local elections in Istanbul, is similar to the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which is recognized by the Supreme Court as the umbrella organization of the terrorist organization, and it was determined that simultaneous capture and detention operations were carried out against HDK members in many provinces, including our province, and investigations are ongoing.
Additionally, when examining the municipal council members elected from the CHP quota and the appointed deputy mayors, it was found that some had connections to the terrorist organization and had registered as members of the CHP just a few days before the local elections on 31.03.2024. It was determined that a total of 10 individuals, including the Deputy Mayors of Ataşehir and Kartal and 8 İBB council members, were listed in HDK data and were identified as members of the organization, leading to their detention and arrest as part of our investigations. Apart from these individuals, 8 municipal council members were arrested based on other connections to the terrorist organization outside of HDK, and it has been reported that 18 members of the terrorist organization have been arrested in the manner described, with investigations continuing for the remaining suspects.
According to the information and documents obtained during the investigation; Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İMAMOĞLU, İBB Deputy Secretary General Mahir POLAT, Şişli Mayor Resul Ekrem ŞAHAN, Reform Institute President Mehmet Ali ÇALIŞKAN, and fugitive suspect A. B., who was found to be active in the ideological field structure of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, as well as H. A., an employee of SPECTRUM HOUSE owned by A. B. (who was identified in 2018 regarding the transfer of personnel to the rural area of the terrorist organization), and Şişli Deputy Mayor Ebru ÖZDEMİR were found to be involved in the "Urban Reconciliation" activities. It was also determined that members/sympathizers of the terrorist organization were hired within İBB's Istanbul Planning Agency and BİMTAŞ, and considering that the lists of municipal council members were determined with the approval of suspect Ekrem İMAMOĞLU, it was understood that they participated knowingly in the urban reconciliation activities aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization in the mentioned metropolises, thus committing the crime of aiding the terrorist organization.
On 19/03/2025, at 06:15, a simultaneous capture, detention, search, and seizure operation was ordered by the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Terror Branch against the aforementioned (7) suspects.
Another statement from the Chief Prosecutor's Office was as follows:
Our Chief Prosecutor's Office, through the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, initiated an investigation based on the video footage shared with the public under the title "Money Counting Images in CHP." As a result of the investigation initiated ex officio and a public case opened, it was revealed that many individuals, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, were involved in forcing businessmen to give money, obtaining unfair profits through transactions made via pawn individuals, and laundering money obtained from the crime by using civil individuals referred to as "secret cash" in money transfers and collections. Furthermore, irregularities were identified in the tenders, service procurements, and collusive contracts related to outdoor advertising media conducted by İBB and its subsidiary companies, leading to the initiation of an investigation based on a report prepared by the Ministry of Interior's inspectors.
As a result of the investigation, it was determined that Ekrem İmamoğlu, the leader of the organized crime group, had brought individuals who had been with him since his tenure as the Mayor of Beylikdüzü to the heads of the units and subsidiaries of the Metropolitan Municipality after he became the Mayor of Istanbul, and that the suspects established their own sub-structures to ensure the continuation of the criminal organization. It was found that they committed organized crimes such as irregular tenders, direct procurement, or service procurement-related fraud, qualified fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data, bribery, and extortion in many municipal subsidiaries.
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The high-priced bids submitted by Ş Kültür A. Ş. for the procurement of qualified services have allowed them to obtain jobs far above their actual worth, with many of the jobs they received being incomplete and some being fictitious. They have laundered money through the issuance of fake invoices, which they have used not only for personal enrichment but also in line with the activities of a criminal organization.
It has been determined that the personal data of our citizens living in Istanbul has been unlawfully obtained and used for the continuity of the organization. Members of the organization who have won tenders from companies such as MEDYA A. Ş., KÜLTÜR A. Ş., KİPTAŞ, and İSFALT have either transferred money to construction projects belonging to organization leader Ekrem İMAMOĞLU with the first advance payments they received from the municipality or have transferred goods to personal companies. Payments to businessmen who have won jobs as a result of open tenders from the Metropolitan Municipality have not been made, and payments have been made only after cash was obtained through threats. Bribes have been demanded from many active businesses, and those who refuse have been subjected to attempts to forcibly collect money through decisions obtained from the Municipal Councils. The real estate obtained as a result of bribery and extortion has been registered under the names of businessmen used as the organization's treasury, as identified by MASAK reports, deposit reports, tax expert examinations, witness statements, and other evidence. In this context, a total of (100) suspects, including the leader of the criminal organization, suspect Ekrem İMAMOĞLU, and suspects in managerial positions within the organization, Murat ONGUN, Tuncay YILMAZ, Fatih KELEŞ, Ertan YILDIZ, and (95) suspects connected to these individuals, have been charged with Being a Leader of a Criminal Organization, Being a Member of a Criminal Organization, Extortion, Bribery, Qualified Fraud, Unlawfully Obtaining Personal Data, and Tampering with a Tender. As of 19/03/2025 at 06:15, instructions have been given to the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Branch for simultaneous capture, detention, search, and seizure operations.