Number of suspects in corruption investigation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality rises to 312

Witnesses testifying as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the "money counting" images at the CHP headquarters stated that " Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor İmamoğlu and many others forced businesspeople to give them money, made unjust gains by working with certain businesspeople, laundered money obtained through crime by making purchases and sales through pawns, and used civilians, referred to as 'secret safes,' in money transfers and collections."

Following a report by the Civil Inspectorate regarding irregularities in tenders, service procurements, and fictitious contracts related to outdoor advertising media made by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and its affiliated companies, as well as HTS records, camera footage, MASAK reports, and more than 20 witness testimonies, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the crimes of "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "extortion," "bribery," "aggravated fraud," "unlawful acquisition of personal data," and "tender rigging."

FIRST OPERATION

Detention, search, and seizure warrants were issued for the alleged criminal organization leader, IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu , the organization’s suspected leaders, IMM Mayoral Advisor and MEDYA AŞ Board Chairman Murat Ongun, İmamoğlu Construction Company General Manager Tuncay Yılmaz, IMM Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, Bakırköy Municipality Council Member and IMM Affiliates and Subsidiaries Commission Chairman Ertan Yıldız, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, and 94 suspects linked to these suspects.

On March 19, upon the instructions of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Financial Crimes Branch of the Istanbul Police Department launched the first operation within the scope of the investigation to capture 100 suspects.

Eighty-seven suspects, including İmamoğlu, Ongun, and Çalık, were detained in the operation. The suspects' testimony at the Istanbul Police Department began on March 20.

In his statement taken at the police station on March 21, Ekrem İmamoğlu responded to several questions by saying, "I do not address this question. I vehemently deny all allegations."

IMAMOGLU'S ARREST

After completing his procedures at the police station, İmamoğlu was taken to the courthouse. After giving a statement at the prosecutor's office for approximately 2.5 hours, he was referred to the criminal judge of peace on duty on the night of March 22nd to 23rd with a request for his arrest on charges of "establishing a criminal organization," "rigging a tender," and "taking a bribe."

The prosecutor's office referred İmamoğlu and 89 other suspects to a judge with a request for their arrest on charges such as "establishing and managing a criminal organization," "rigging bids," "taking bribes," "extortion," "acquiring personal data," "being a member of a criminal organization," "receiving bribes," and "giving bribes."

In the referral letter sent by the prosecutor's office to the judge, it was determined that "the structure, led by Ekrem İmamoğlu and managed by Murat Ongun, rigged many tenders at Medya AŞ and Kültür AŞ, and carried out fraudulent activities to the detriment of public institutions through fictitious tenders."

In the referral letter, it was stated that it was understood that İmamoğlu, the ringleader of the profit-oriented criminal organization, had the sole indisputable and undeniable say within the organization, and that the instructions given by the organization leader and manager were carried out by the members of the organization who were under the leadership of other organization managers.

While 48 suspects, including İmamoğlu and Beylikdüzü Mayor Çalık, were arrested, 41 suspects were released on probation.

İmamoğlu was suspended from his post in accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Interior on March 23, the day he was arrested.

SECOND OPERATION

As part of the investigation, a second operation was conducted on April 26th, pursuant to detention warrants against 53 suspects. Eighteen of the detained suspects, including Bakırköy Deputy Mayor and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council Member Ali Rıza Akyüz, Ekrem İmamoğlu's bodyguard Çağlar Türkmen, and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Boğaziçi Zoning Director Elçin Karaoğlu, were arrested, while 34 were released on probation.

THIRD OPERATION

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued detention warrants for 22 more suspects on May 20 as part of the investigation. Thirteen of the suspects, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Press, Broadcasting and Public Relations Department Head Taner Çetin, were arrested, while seven were released on probation.

FOURTH OPERATION

The suspects were arrested following the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's detention order for seven suspects on May 22.

FIFTH OPERATION

The fifth operation was carried out in the investigation following the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's detention order for 46 suspects on May 23. Twenty-five suspects, including KİPTAŞ Board Chairman Ali Kurt, İSTAÇ Board Chairman Ziya Gökmen Togay, İBB Road Maintenance and Infrastructure Coordination Department Head Seyfullah Demirel, and İBB Head of the Mukhtar Affairs Department Head Yavuz Saltık, were arrested, while 21 suspects were released on probation.

SIXTH OPERATION

In the sixth operation, conducted on May 31st, former CHP Member of Parliament Aykut Erdoğdu, Ağaç AŞ General Manager Ali Sukas, and Beylikdüzü Deputy Mayor Veysel Erçevik were apprehended. They were arrested and sent to prison.

ARREST OF IMAMOĞLU'S LAWYER

Ekrem İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was arrested on June 19 in an investigation launched against him following allegations by suspects Adem Soytekin and Servet Yıldırım, who benefited from effective repentance.

Mustafa Keleş, the son of IMM Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, and his nephew Murat Keleş, who were detained during the investigation, were also arrested on June 20.

SEVENTH OPERATION

Three more suspects were taken into custody in the investigation's latest operation, conducted on July 5. Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin and his driver, Sonkan Turan, were arrested, while a judicial control measure was imposed on lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu.

39 suspects who testified under effective remorse provisions were released

As part of the investigation, 73 suspects, 41 of whom were detained, applied to the prosecutor's office and testified within the scope of effective repentance provisions.

The detained suspects who testified within the scope of effective remorse provisions are as follows:

"IMM Culture Inc. General Manager Murat Abbas, IMM Affiliates and Affiliates Commission President Ertan Yıldız, business people Ali Nuhoğlu, Adem Soytekin, Seyfi Beyaz, Ahmet Sari, İsmail Sari, Ahmet Çiçek, Eyüp Subaşı, Noyan Kırmızıgül, Murat İlbak, Muhittin Palazoğlu, Kabil Taşçı, Mehmet İlhan Gülay, Nezahat Kurt, Berat Çağrı Kapki, İhsan Mengir, Yücel Mengir, Dinçer Kantar, Alaeddin Vardar and Fikret Baydemir, arrested suspect Hüseyin Köksal's driver suspect Servet Yıldırım, lawyer Süleyman Atik, construction technician Altan Gözcü, accounting manager Murat Bıyık, advertiser Hüseyin Kum, Yapı Merkez İnşaat owners Mustafa Başar Arıoğlu, Erdem Arıoğlu and Özge Arıoğlu, arrested suspect Adem Soytekin's brother Ogün Soytekin and his bodyguard Murat Erenler, Şeyhmus Sarıboğa, Güngör Gürman, Hasan Özsoy, Taner Gümüş, Kadir Gümüş, Bülent Yılmaz, former CHP Şişli Municipal Council Member Umut Şenol, İSTAÇ Board Chairman Ziya Gökmen Togay, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Surveying Engineer Yakup Öner and lawyer Orçun Muhittin Yılmaz.

Of the 41 suspects detained who testified, 39 were released. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Surveying Engineer Yakup Öner and lawyer Orçun Muhittin Yılmaz were not released on the grounds that their statements were insufficient to shed light on the investigation.

Some of the suspects still in custody in the investigation are:

Former IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, IMM Mayoral Advisor and MEDYA AŞ Chairman of the Board of Directors Murat Ongun, İmamoğlu Construction Company General Manager Tuncay Yılmaz, IMM Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, IMM Press, Broadcasting and Public Relations Department Head Taner Çetin, KİPTAŞ Board Chairman Ali Kurt, IMM Road Maintenance and Infrastructure Coordination Department Head Seyfullah Demirel, IMM Private Secretary Kadriye Kasapoğlu, Ekrem İmamoğlu's protection manager Mustafa Akın, IMM Head of Mukhtar Affairs Department Head Yavuz Saltık, former CHP Member of Parliament Aykut Erdoğdu, Ağaç AŞ General Manager Ali Sukas, Beylikdüzü Deputy Mayor Veysel Erçevik and İmamoğlu's lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan.

Number of suspects increased to 312

Since March, the number of suspects has risen to 312. Of these, 303 were apprehended in operations conducted by police and gendarmerie teams. Some of the suspects were arrested, while others were placed under judicial control.

Currently, 97 suspects are detained as part of the investigation, while judicial control measures have been applied to 206 of them.

Meanwhile, law enforcement teams are continuing their efforts to capture nine suspects, including Emrah Bağdatlı, who introduced himself as the "advisor" of Murat Ongun, Advisor to the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Media Inc., and businessman Murat Gülibrahimoğlu.