Investigations into CHP municipalities: Operations, arrests, those benefiting from effective repentance
Mahmut Hamsici
Republican People's Party (CHP) municipalities have been facing various investigations since the end of 2024.
As part of the investigations, dozens of people, including mayors, were arrested and hundreds of people were detained in a series of operations.
Operations continue.
So, what investigations are currently underway against CHP-led municipalities? How many people have been detained to date? Who was arrested, and why? What is known about effective repentance?
BBC Turkish sought answers to these and similar questions and revealed the results of the investigations in question.
What investigations are there?According to information compiled by BBC Turkish from news reports, prosecutor's office statements, police and prosecutor's office statements, and statements from politicians, there are more than 10 investigations involving CHP municipalities or municipal employees.
The most notable of these are the investigations into "corruption" at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the "criminal organization" allegedly led by businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş.
Apart from this, there are also various investigations, large and small, and operations are now being carried out outside of Istanbul.
Investigations related to municipalities include:
Corruption investigation into Istanbul Metropolitan MunicipalityThis appears to be the most comprehensive investigation yet.
In this investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it is alleged that "the organization led by Ekrem İmamoğlu rigged many tenders and carried out fraudulent activities to the detriment of public institutions through fictitious tenders."
İmamoğlu said that he "vehemently denied all the allegations" in his statements to both the police and the prosecutor's office.
The prosecutor's office claims that the alleged leader of the organization is Murat Ongun.
Ongun also denies all the allegations.
Many people who were detained and were working at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and its subsidiaries are being tried as part of this investigation.
Aziz İhsan Aktaş investigationIn this investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it is alleged that the "criminal organization", of which Aktaş is alleged to be the ringleader, organized the tenders by bribing mayors and senior municipal officials.
This investigation first came to the fore with the operation carried out against Beşiktaş Municipality in January.
Aktaş was first arrested, then released on probation after benefiting from effective repentance.
New operations are being carried out with new statements within the scope of the investigation.
Finally, on July 29, more than 20 people were detained in different provinces.
'Terrorism' investigationsThe "city consensus" in the March 31, 2024 local elections plays an important role in two "terrorism" investigations conducted in Istanbul.
As part of one of the investigations, many people were detained in an operation targeting nine CHP district municipalities in Istanbul on February 11.
Ten people were arrested, including the deputy mayors of Ataşehir and Kartal, and some municipal council members in Üsküdar, Beyoğlu, Adalar, Şişli, Sancaktepe, Tuzla and Fatih.
The indictment alleged that the defendants, as members of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), "had ties to the PKK."
In the second investigation, also centered in Istanbul, "urban reconciliation" is defined as "an activity aimed at increasing the PKK's influence in metropolitan cities" and an investigation is being conducted within this scope.
The suspects are accused of "aiding the PKK."
During the March 19 process, Ekrem İmamoğlu was also detained within the scope of this investigation, but since he was arrested in the "corruption" investigation, it was decided that he would be tried without being detained in this investigation.
In this investigation, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, who were also detained, were arrested.
Polat was later released due to health reasons.
These people also deny all the accusations against them.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also conducted an investigation into the dismissed Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who is being tried on charges of being a member of an "armed terrorist organization."
The indictment prepared in March as part of the investigation was accepted.
Özer was acquitted at the hearing of the case on July 14.
'Corruption' investigation into Beşiktaş MunicipalityThis is an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office following a tip-off about the direct procurement of materials by the Beşiktaş Municipality Cultural and Social Affairs Directorate for the October 29 Republic Day celebrations in 2019.
As part of the investigation, several people, including municipal administrators, were detained and three people were arrested.
The corruption investigation into the Büyükçekmece Municipality includes accusations of "taking bribes" and "giving bribes" in the construction and housing sectors.
Mayor Hasan Akgün was arrested in this investigation.
Denying the allegations against him, Akgün said, "Neither I nor my relatives received any transfer of flats or any financial benefit."
Ahmet Şahin, the deputy chairman elected in his place, was arrested some time later as part of a "corruption" investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Sahin denied all allegations.
Investigation into Beykoz MunicipalityThis is an investigation into the Beykoz Municipality, which includes accusations of "tender rigging" and "establishing, membership in and aiding an organisation to perpetrate a crime."
Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler was arrested as part of the investigation.
Denying the accusations against him, Köseler said, "No public harm has occurred as a result of my actions. These are completely fabricated things."
In the following process, the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment.
The first hearing of the case will be held on September 3-4.
Investigation into Şile MunicipalityThe investigation into the Şile Municipality, launched by the Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, includes charges of "establishing an organization to commit a crime," "extortion," "bribery," and "tender rigging."
Mayor Özgür Kabadayı was arrested in this investigation.
In his statements, the bully denied the accusations and said, "I have never signed any illegal transaction."
Kartal Municipality launches 'abuse of office' investigationThe investigation is based on allegations of "tender corruption" involving the Kartal Municipality.
The indictment prepared by the Special Investigation Bureau of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office alleges that 44 properties belonging to the municipality were rented out in violation of the tender law between 2019 and 2021.
Nineteen suspects, including Kartal Mayor Gökhan Yüksel, face prison sentences ranging from 10 months to 3 years and 6 months for alleged repeated abuse of power.
In a statement made by the municipality, it was stated that the indictment was prepared in accordance with the property inspector's report, despite the request for an expert examination.
"Corruption" investigations in IzmirThere are two separate "corruption" investigations being conducted by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
One of these is an investigation into allegations of "corruption" at İZBETON AŞ, a subsidiary of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, through subcontractor companies.
The second is more commonly known as the "cooperative" investigation.
In this second investigation, it is alleged that there were irregularities in construction works in return for flats in some parts of Izmir.
Former Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer was arrested as part of this investigation.
Antalya-based "bribery" investigationAntalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek was arrested as part of the "bribery" investigation conducted by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
There are various allegations against Böcek and some of his relatives in the investigation.
Muhittin Böcek denied all accusations.
'Bribery' investigation in ManavgatAn investigation was launched by the Manavgat Chief Public Prosecutor's Office following allegations of bribery regarding hotel renovations, construction permits and occupancy applications.
Manavgat Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara was arrested in this investigation.
During this process, images were published claiming that Deputy Mayor Mehmet Engin Tüter had accepted a bribe from someone in a baklava box.
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel said regarding the footage, "They caught the baklava seller for drugs, trained him, and made him an informant."
Tüter applied to benefit from effective repentance.
"Funding of DHKP-C" investigationAn investigation was launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding allegations that some individuals working in the Ataşehir, Maltepe, Sarıyer and Şişli municipalities provided financing to the DHKP-C organization between 2014 and 2016.
It is stated that some suspects are still municipal employees.
Former Sarıyer Mayor Şükrü Genç was arrested as part of this investigation.
In his statement, Genç said that he had no support for the organization, but on the contrary, he was targeted by the organization because of his work at the municipality.
An indictment has been prepared. The case continues.
A total of nine comprehensive operations were carried out within the scope of the "corruption" investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
According to Anadolu Agency, a total of 320 people were detained within the scope of this investigation alone.
The agency reported that 105 people were arrested, 215 people were released on judicial probation, and ten people were on the run.
According to CHP sources speaking to BBC Turkish, at least 400 people have been detained so far in all Istanbul-based investigations into CHP municipalities.
According to data compiled by BBC Turkish from all news reports on the subject, the number of people detained in all investigations across Türkiye since October 2024 has exceeded 500.
According to BBC Turkish's research, more than 200 of them were arrested.
Some of the arrested people were released on condition of judicial control during the process.
The number of mayors arrested during this period reached 15. The duties and names of these people at the time of their arrest are as follows:
Apart from the mayors, many other critical figures were also arrested. Some of these names, along with their duties during the period they were arrested, are as follows:
|
Deputy mayors were determined for the 13 mayors who were dismissed as part of the investigations, through elections held in the municipal councils.
Since the majority of the municipal council in Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality belongs to the AKP, the mayorship in this municipality passed to the ruling party.
Trustees were appointed to Esenyurt and Şişli.
Can Aksoy was appointed as the Mayor of Esenyurt, and Cevdet Ertürkmen was appointed as the Mayor of Şişli.
The following vice presidents took office:
- Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality: Nuri Aslan (CHP)
- Antalya Metropolitan Municipality : Büşra Özdemir (CHP)
- Adana Metropolitan Municipality: Güngör Geçer (CHP)
- Esenyurt Municipality: Can Aksoy (Trustee)
- Avcılar Municipality : Yüksel Can (CHP)
- Şişli Municipality : Cevdet Ertürkmen (Trustee)
- Beylikdüzü Municipality: Önder Serkan Çeb i (CHP)
- Beykoz Municipality: Özlem Vural Gürzel (CHP)
- Beşiktaş Municipality: Ömer Rasim Şişman (CHP)
- Büyükçekmece Municipality: Hakan Çebi (CHP)
- Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality: Eray Karadeniz (AKP)
- Ceyhan Municipality: Sevil Aydar Yıldız (CHP)
- Seyhan Municipality: Hasibe Akkan (CHP)
- Manavgat Municipality: Mehmet Çiçek (CHP)
- Şile Municipality: Sacit Terzi (CHP)
According to reports, dozens of people benefited from active repentance during this process. There is no official statement regarding the number of these people. According to Anadolu Agency, 42 people benefited from effective repentance within the scope of the "corruption" investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality alone. Some of the names that benefited from effective repentance in investigations are:
The majority of prisoners who benefited from effective repentance were released. |
T24
