02.07.2025 10:45
In the investigation conducted by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the procedures for the suspects, including former İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer and CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, who were detained, are ongoing at the police station. On the second day of the operation targeting 157 individuals, the number of detentions has risen to 130. Meanwhile, footage related to the operation has emerged.
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Within the scope of the investigation conducted under the coordination of Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Necati Kayaközü, responsible for the Terror and Organized Crimes Bureau and the Organized Crimes Bureau of the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an operation was carried out yesterday morning against the İZBETON company and cooperatives.
126 PEOPLE DETAINED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE OPERATION Teams from the Financial Crimes Investigation Department worked to capture 157 individuals who had detention orders against them. Among the 126 suspects detained were former İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, former İZBETON General Manager Heval Savaş Kaya, İZSU General Manager Gürkan Erdoğan, Deputy Secretary General Övünç Özgen, former Secretary General Barış Karcı, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Ulaş Aydın, Buca Deputy Mayor Engin Güzel, former İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Özgür Ozan, İzmir Chamber of Commerce Council Member Çağlar Kalkan, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Eşrefpaşa Hospital Deputy Chief Physician Gaffar Karadoğan, Bayraklı Deputy Mayor Mehmet Hanifi Mert Yılmaz, CHP Bornova District Vice Chairman Haydar İzgin, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Övünç Özgen, and the son of CHP Ankara Provincial Chairman Ümit Erkol, Fırat Erkol, as well as Yücel Erten, a theater actor and the General Art Director of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, who was also a board member of İZBETON A. Ş.
NUMBER OF DETENTIONS INCREASED On the second day of the operation, the number of detentions rose to 130. Those detained, including Tunç Soyer and other suspects, were taken to the police station after a health check. It was reported that the suspects were detained on charges of 'interfering with the tender', 'interfering with the performance of the obligation', and 'qualified fraud' based on the Court of Accounts Report, the Ministry of Interior Inspector Report, the Environmental and Urbanization Provincial Directorate Inspection Report, the Internal Audit Report of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Inspection Board, and expert reports. Meanwhile, images of the operation also emerged.
DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION Details of the investigation against the İZBETON company and cooperatives have also emerged. It was learned that the suspects were accused of 'qualified fraud' in the Örnekköy urban transformation projects, 'attempted qualified fraud' in the Karabağlar and Gaziemir projects, 'interfering with the tender' in vehicle and machinery rental tenders, 'irregularities in spending' between 2021-2024, 'interfering with the tender' in asphalt and vehicle rental tenders, and 'irregularities' related to the subcontractors RAMER and SİYAM firms due to unjustified payments.
PUBLIC LOSS OF 41 MILLION LIRA It was stated that 'qualified fraud' was committed in the agreements made between İZBETON and cooperatives within the scope of the Örnekköy Urban Transformation project, and that the Ministry of Interior, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, İZBETON A. Ş., two cooperatives, and 463 citizens were victimized. In this context, the public loss was announced to be 41 million 935 thousand 79 TL. Among the suspects were Tunç Soyer, Heval Savaş Kaya, Şenol Aslanoğlu, and cooperative managers.
In the urban transformation projects in Gaziemir and Karabağlar, it was claimed that 'attempted fraud' was carried out through some plans that had not yet been implemented. Although the amount of damage has not yet been determined, Tunç Soyer, Heval Savaş Kaya, cooperative managers, and Fırat Erkol were indicated as suspects under this heading.
29 MILLION LIRA UNJUSTIFIED PAYMENT It was stated that irregularities were involved in the processes of renting construction machinery and that the performance of the obligation was interfered with. It was expressed that purchases were made at exorbitant prices, leading to a total of 18 million 933 thousand 797 TL in public loss and 29 million 841 thousand 790 TL in unjustified payments, with Heval Savaş Kaya, Hüseyin Şimşek, the control organization, and the managers of ONAS and AS-YOL firms being indicated as suspects. It was noted that irregularities were also detected in the expenditures between 2021 and 2024. Due to document deficiencies and abuses in accommodation, transportation, food, and organization expenses, a public loss of 5 million 937 thousand 136 TL was reported. Heval Savaş Kaya, Hüseyin Şimşek, and Mehmet Alphan Bozan were stated to be responsible in this process.
FAKE TENDER VALUES It was also recorded that in asphalt and vehicle rental tenders, work that was not actually done was shown as if it had been completed, and excessive invoices were issued, resulting in a total public loss of 243 million 305 thousand 735 TL and unjustified payments of 224 million 252 thousand 724 TL. Buket Berber, Şule Kök Yıldırım, Murat Vartoprak, subcontractor firms (CEVLOG, Ege Tem), acceptance commissions, Heval Savaş Kaya, and officials of the SİYAM firm were indicated as suspects in this context. Data related to the RAMER and SİYAM firms were also included in the investigation file. It was stated that payments were made for work that was never done in subcontractor tenders, and that fictitious values were written in the tender contracts. It was recorded that this way, a public loss of 20 million 935 thousand 513 TL occurred.
TOTAL DAMAGE EXCEEDS 1.5 BILLION LIRA In the examinations conducted by experts in the investigation file, it was determined that İZBETON A. Ş. caused a loss of 967 million 326 thousand 288 lira through vehicles not registered in the Arvento brand vehicle tracking system. In light of the collected data, it was stated that unjustified payments, public losses, and the total damages of İZBETON and the victims exceeded 1.5 billion lira.
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PRESIDENT TUGAY HAS ORDERED AN INVESTIGATION RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS TERM It has also emerged that İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay ordered investigations related to the previous term within the municipality's inspection unit regarding the operation. After reports were prepared concerning two files investigated by the internal audit unit during the term of the previous mayor Tunç Soyer, it was learned that a notification was made to the prosecutor's office with a document dated June 23, signed by Cemil Tugay. In the relevant letter, it was stated, "The file containing the investigation report dated June 23, 2024, numbered 2024/5, prepared by the Internal Audit Unit of the Metropolitan Municipality regarding our company IZBETON A.Ş., has been forwarded to your office for evaluation. The investigation conducted under file number 18345 at our Inspection Board has been completed, and the resulting Investigation Report and Referral Report are attached."
Furthermore, yesterday, the İzmir Cooperative Victims Union, formed by 5 cooperatives affiliated with IZBETON and 1 cooperative affiliated with EGEŞEHİR, gathered in front of the police to announce that they are victims and that an important step has been taken against the structure that has been profiting through various cooperatives using public power.
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