19.03.2025 10:13
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that a detention order has been issued for 7 suspects, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, IBB Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, on charges of "aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization." In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the mention of "Cemil Bayık and Mustafa Karasu" drew attention.
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The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that a detention order was issued for 7 suspects, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, on charges of "aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization."
In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was reported that the terrorist organization PKK/KCK, in order to increase its activities in metropolitan cities, particularly in Istanbul, had conveyed the views and instructions of terrorist organization leaders Cemil Bayık and Mustafa Karasu to the media affiliated with the terrorist organization before the local elections held on March 31, 2024, through the "city consensus" activity.
"CITY CONSENSUS ANNOUNCED THROUGH HDK ALLIANCE VIA MEDIA"
The statement indicated that findings regarding the alliance between the terrorist organization's umbrella structure, the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), and IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu based on "city consensus" were announced by media affiliated with the terrorist organization for the Istanbul local elections. It was noted that simultaneous capture and detention operations were carried out against HDK members in many provinces, especially in Istanbul, and that investigations are still ongoing.
NAMES SELECTED FROM CHP'S QUOTA LINKED TO THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
The statement pointed out that upon examining the municipal council members selected from the CHP quota and the appointed deputy mayors, some of them were found to have connections to the terrorist organization. The following statements were included:
"Just a few days before the local elections on March 31, 2024, they registered as members of the CHP, and it has been determined that a total of 10 individuals, including the Deputy Mayors of Ataşehir and Kartal and 8 IMM council members, are listed in HDK data and are identified as members of the organization. They were detained and arrested as part of our investigations. Additionally, 8 other municipal council members were arrested based on other connections to the terrorist organization outside of HDK. It is understood that 18 members of the terrorist organization have been arrested as described so far, and investigations into the remaining suspects are ongoing."
İMAMOĞLU AND OTHER NAMES PARTICIPATED IN THE CITY CONSENSUS ACTIVITY
According to the information and documents obtained during the investigation, it was stated that IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Reform Institute President Mehmet Ali Çalışkan, fugitive suspect A.B., who was found to be active in the ideological field structure of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, H.A., an employee of Spectrum House owned by A.B., and Şişli Deputy Mayor Ebru Özdemir participated in the "city consensus" activity together.
It was also stated that members/sympathizers of the terrorist organization were hired within the Istanbul Planning Agency and BİMTAŞ, which are subsidiaries of IMM, and the statement continued:
"Considering that suspect Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with other suspects, determined the lists of municipal council members with his approval in the local elections, it is understood that they committed the crime of aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization by knowingly participating in the 'city consensus' activity aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the terrorist organization in the metropolises, as expressed by the management of the terrorist organization. A simultaneous capture, detention, search, and seizure operation has been instructed to the Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Branch regarding the aforementioned 7 suspects."
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