05.07.2025 18:31
In the corruption operation centered in Istanbul, the number of people detained has risen to 13, including Zeydan Karalar, the CHP mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality, and Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adıyaman. Two fugitives were captured in an operation conducted in Sakarya.
In three separate corruption investigations based in Istanbul, 13 suspects, including Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan, and Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin, were taken into custody.
ARREST OF CHP MAYORS
According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, operations are ongoing to capture 15 suspects as part of three separate investigations related to corruption at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), the criminal organization allegedly led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, and Büyükçekmece Municipality.
ZEYDAN KARALAR AND ABDURRAHMAN TUTDERE IN CUSTODY
In a simultaneous operation conducted by police teams, Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan, Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin, Şahin's driver Sonkan Turan, businessmen Hayrettin Mermer, Burak Kangal, Rabil Artan, and Kazım Gökhan Yankılıç, lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu, and former Seyhan Municipality Cleaning Affairs Director Özcan Zenger were taken into custody.
NUMBER OF ARRESTS INCREASED
As part of the investigations, two fugitive suspects, Ahmet Murat Mermer and İbrahim Emre Mermer, were also captured in an operation conducted in Sakarya. Efforts to capture the two fugitive suspects are ongoing. Search operations at the municipal buildings of Adana and Adıyaman are also continuing.
MUHİTTİN BÖCEK ALSO IN CUSTODY
Additionally, within the scope of the "bribery" investigation initiated by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an arrest warrant was issued for Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek and two other suspects. In a statement from the prosecutor's office, it was noted that Böcek and his former daughter-in-law Zeynep Kerimoğlu were taken into custody, while Böcek's son Mustafa Gökhan Böcek, who has an arrest warrant against him, is reported to be abroad.
INVESTIGATION INTO AZİZ İHSAN AKTAŞ'S CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION
In the investigation into Aziz İhsan Aktaş's criminal organization, after he provided a statement of effective remorse, the testimonies of witnesses working in companies owned by Aktaş and some detained suspects were examined.
In this context, it was determined that suspect Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar demanded unjust financial benefits from company executives doing business with the municipality during his term as Seyhan Mayor and directed individuals to the then Seyhan Municipality Cleaning Affairs Director suspect Özcan Zenger.
It was also determined that suspect Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere demanded unjust financial benefits from company executives doing business with the municipality and directed individuals to suspect Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan, who was found to have received money on different dates.
In the investigation, four suspects were identified who were found to have acquired vehicles and real estate with the proceeds of crime from the detained former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat.
In this context, an arrest warrant was issued for eight suspects, including Zeydan Karalar, Özcan Zenger, Abdurrahman Tutdere, and Ceyhan Kayhan.
ARREST OF THE DEPUTY MAYOR OF BÜYÜKÇEKMECE
In Istanbul, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting a corruption investigation against suspects, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested and removed from the IMM Presidency, for charges of "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "extortion," "bribery," "qualified fraud," "illegally obtaining personal data," and "interfering with a tender." Some suspects expressed their intention to benefit from the provisions of effective remorse, and their statements and submitted documents were examined.
In the statements, it was claimed that during the tenders taken from IMM and its affiliates, pressure and coercion were exerted by Fatih Keleş, forcing them to pay money to individuals he designated.
As a result of these findings, it was determined that the money was received by Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin and his driver.
ALLEGATION OF ACTIVITIES TO PREVENT ORGANIZATIONAL DISSOLUTION
In the corruption investigation against IMM, it was determined that lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu engaged in activities to prevent organizational dissolution by controlling and pressuring suspects during meetings with high-level executives of the organization before the operation and during prison visits afterward.
It was learned that Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin, his driver Sonkan Turan, and lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu were taken into custody as a result of these findings.
In the corruption investigation against Büyükçekmece Municipality, it was determined that suspect Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün demanded real estate in exchange for construction permits and occupancy permits from companies constructing in the district, forced some business owners to provide real estate, and made payments to companies he openly worked with using some of the acquired properties.
In this context, it was determined that Hasan Akgün provided a total of four villas to his relatives and companies, and an arrest warrant was issued for four suspects identified as having received real estate for the crimes of "giving bribes" and "receiving bribes." It was learned that the suspects are businessmen.