31.05.2025 19:22
In the corruption investigation involving 47 individuals for which a detention order has been issued against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), the names mentioned by the whistleblower Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who claimed to have given bribes, drew attention. Aktaş alleged that he gave 1 million dollars to Celal Tekin, the husband of Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, and to Burhanettin Bulut, the Deputy Chairman of the CHP (Republican People's Party).
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In the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), a detention order was issued for 47 people, including former CHP Deputy Aykut Erdoğdu, Gaziosmanpaşa, Büyükçekmece, Avcılar, Ceyhan, and Seyhan mayors, and 30 people were arrested.
AZIZ İHSAN AKTAŞ BECAME A WHISTLEBLOWER, DETENTIONS AT MUNICIPALITIES
In the investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the criminal organization allegedly headed by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, Aktaş, who wanted to benefit from the effective remorse provisions, gave additional statements on April 30 and May 11. In his statement, Aktaş stated that the municipalities from which he received contracts, especially Beşiktaş Municipality, made payments for entitlements in exchange for material benefits.
Aktaş explained that he was forced to give money to mayors and their assistants and to buy their properties and vehicles at prices higher than their value, and noted that he was compelled to provide money and vehicles for the election campaigns of mayoral candidates in the 2024 local elections.
MENTIONED MANY NAMES
Following Aktaş's statement regarding politicians, mayors, and assistants who provided material benefits, the prosecutor's office identified 27 suspects, including IMM Deputy Secretary General Erdal Celal Aksoy, ISFALT General Manager Burak Korzay, Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ozan İş, and Avcılar Deputy Mayor Erhan Daka, and issued detention orders for them on charges of "receiving bribes," "giving bribes," "embezzlement," and "interfering with tenders."
"I GAVE 1 MILLION DOLLARS TO BURHANETTİN BULUT"
He claimed that he gave 1 million dollars to Oya Tekin, the Mayor of Seyhan, and to CHP Deputy Burhanettin Bulut, and shared the receipt, location, and date information with the prosecutor's office.
INVESTIGATION AGAINST THE BIGÇEKMECE MUNICIPALITY
In the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding Büyükçekmece Municipality, it was determined that mayors and officials forced firms constructing in the district to make so-called donations to the Büyükçekmece Basketball Team, sponsor them, and that they did not grant construction and occupancy permits to business owners who did not accept these demands. It was also found that some business owners were compelled to accept the demands of municipal officials due to the pressure they faced.
In Büyükçekmece, a construction-intensive area, it was identified that relatives of the mayor managed excavation works in the district, profiting by dumping excavated materials in illegal areas and exerting influence. A detention order was issued for 5 suspects, including Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün and Deputy Mayor Ömer Kazancı.
CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION AGAINST IMM
Following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from the IMM presidency, a corruption investigation was launched against suspects, including him, for "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "embezzlement," "bribery," "qualified fraud," "illegally obtaining personal data," and "interfering with tenders." Findings were made regarding former CHP deputy Aykut Erdoğdu's facilitation of bribery within İSTAÇ.
In the investigation, it was determined that Ali Sukas, the General Manager of Ağaç AŞ, requested money and vehicles from individuals and firms he worked with, and that the upper management of IMM requested money under the name of "commission" upon their instructions. It was also found that Veysel Erçevik, the Deputy Mayor of Beylikdüzü, provided material benefits in exchange for occupancy permits from a contractor working in the region. Following these findings, a detention order was issued for 3 suspects in the investigation.
INVESTIGATION AGAINST BEŞİKTAŞ MUNICIPALITY
Upon a tip-off regarding the direct procurement method used by the Beşiktaş Municipality's Culture and Social Affairs Directorate for the celebrations of the October 29 Republic Day in 2019, an investigation was initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Within the scope of the investigation, it was determined that Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı, the then Director of Culture and Social Affairs Mehmet Mandacı, who is currently the Deputy Mayor of Avcılar, and Rıza Can Özdemir, the current Deputy Mayor of Büyükçekmece, took the job under a shell company that did not have the qualifications to take the job and engaged in various irregularities, causing public harm.
Following these findings, detention orders were issued for 9 of the 11 suspects, including Avcılar Deputy Mayor Mehmet Mandacı and Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Rıza Can Özdemir, who are currently detained, on charges of "fraud to the detriment of public institutions" and "forgery in official documents." It was also determined that 2 suspects in the investigation were detained. Efforts to capture the suspects for whom detention orders were issued are ongoing.
30 OUT OF 47 SUSPECTS WERE DETAINED
The operation to capture a total of 47 suspects in the corruption investigation against IMM, the investigation into the criminal organization allegedly led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, and the separate investigations regarding Büyükçekmece Municipality and Beşiktaş Municipality's Culture and Social Affairs Directorate is ongoing.
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In simultaneous operations organized by the police teams, 30 suspects were detained, including former CHP Member of Parliament Aykut Erdoğdu, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, and Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin.
Within the scope of the operation, it was determined that 3 of the 6 suspects against whom detention orders were issued were in prison, while 3 were abroad. The teams continue their efforts to capture the 11 fugitives. Search operations are also ongoing in the buildings of Avcılar, Büyükçekmece, and Gaziosmanpaşa Municipalities as part of the investigation.
The names of those against whom detention orders have been issued are as follows:
1- Erdal Celal Aksoy (Deputy Secretary General of İBB)
2- Baki Aydöner (Member of CHP Party Council)
3- Burak Korzay (General Manager of İsfalt)
4- Utku Caner Çaykara (Mayor of Avcılar)
5- Hakan Bahçetepe (Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa)
6- Kadir Aydar (Mayor of Ceyhan)
7- Oya Tekin (Mayor of Seyhan)
8- Ozan İş (Deputy Mayor of Beşiktaş)
9- Erhan Daka (Deputy Mayor of Avcılar)
10- Can Zafer Yaman (Relative of the Mayor of Ceyhan)
11- Mustafa Aydar
12- Celal Tekin
13- Ebubekir Akın
14- Fatih Yadoğlu
15- Remzi Baka
16- Şaban Baka
17- Yusuf Yadoğlu
18- Caner Vural
19- Menderes Cemaloğlu
20- Gürkan Dölekli
21- Özer Ayık
22- Sırrı Küçük
23- Fikret Demir
24- Songül Demir
25- Fahri Aksoy
26- Bektaş Yıldız
27- İbrahim Bülbüllü
28- Mehmet Mandacı
29- Rıza Can Özdemir
30- Hakan Ateş
31- İsmet Abacı
32- Betül Taşkıt
33- Görkem Kızılkayak
34- İsmail Yalçın
35- Şazime Sena Ayata
36- Yazgül Yeşil Gül
37- Alican Abacı (Deputy Mayor of Beşiktaş) DETAINED
38- Emirhan Akçadağ (Private Secretary of the Mayor of Beşiktaş) DETAINED
39- Hasan Akgün (Mayor of Büyükçekmece)
40- Ömer Kazancı
41- Emre Kekeçoğlu
42- Gökhan Akgün
43- Halil Satı
44- Eray Kurt
45- Aykut Erdoğdu (Former CHP Member of Parliament)
46- Ali Sukas (General Manager of Ağaç Aş)
47- Veysel Erçevik (Deputy Mayor of Beylikdüzü)
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