Breaking News: Operation at CHP-run İzmit Municipality! First statement from Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet after being detained

Operations against CHP-run municipalities continue. Most recently, an operation was conducted at the İzmit Municipality.

As part of an investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes," "bribery," and "rigging bids," detention warrants were issued for 31 people, including İzmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet and her husband Murat Hürriyet.

“I HAVEN'T EATEN ANYTHING SOUR, SO I HAVE NO REASON TO HAVE A STOMACHACHE”

It was learned that teams searched Hürriyet's home.

According to reports by Özgür Kocaeli, İzmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet, who was detained along with her husband Murat Hürriyet by police teams searching her home, said, “I haven't eaten anything sour, so I have no reason to have a stomachache.”

First statement from Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet after being detained:

“My conscience is clear. I haven't eaten anything sour, so I have no reason to have a stomachache.

I love everyone. See you later.”

(Kocaeli Gündem) https://t.co/qa3bwHKPhu pic.twitter.com/zKjkgp8cex

— Etkili Haber (@etkilihaberyeni) July 20, 2026

According to information obtained, a search is being conducted at the İzmit Municipality building as part of the operation.

While police teams took security measures around the municipal building, staff and administrators were not allowed to enter.

Cleaning Affairs Directorate employees who came to the municipality to clock in began waiting in front of the building after seeing that the doors were locked.

Following these developments, İzmit Deputy Mayors Yaşar Kardeş and Cem Güler, as well as the Director of Cleaning Affairs, also arrived at the municipal building. However, the municipal administrators were also not allowed inside.

In a statement from the prosecutor's office, it was noted that some tenders belonging to the municipality were taken under investigation in line with suspect statements, declarations within the scope of effective remorse, and secret witness testimonies. The statement indicated that an investigation had been launched into 31 people, including İzmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet, her husband Murat Hürriyet, and CHP İzmit District Chair Gökhan Ercan.

FIRST STATEMENT FROM THE CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a statement regarding the operation.

The full text of the statement issued by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is as follows:

''Within the scope of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office investigation numbered 2026/102274; as a result of the work carried out in line with suspect statements, effective remorse statements, and secret witness testimonies obtained by the prosecutor's office, some tenders organized by the İzmit Municipality have become the subject of investigation.

Within the scope of the investigation; a judicial process has been initiated upon findings that in the tenders organized by the İzmit Municipality, there were kinship relations between the winning companies and the companies bidding for the tenders with municipal officials, that money was received under the name of commission from companies doing business with the municipality, and that the mayor's husband had a direct connection to tender processes, personnel recruitment, and staff determinations.

In this context, a simultaneous operation was launched on 20.07.2026 in the provinces of Antalya, Kırıkkale, İzmit, Istanbul, and Ankara in line with the prosecutor's instructions against a total of 31 people, including İzmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet and the mayor's husband Murat Hürriyet, on charges of “Establishing an Organization for the Purpose of Committing Crimes,” “Bribery,” and “Rigging Bids.”

The investigation is being conducted in a multi-faceted and meticulous manner under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.''

NAMES OF THOSE DETAINED HAVE BEEN REVEALED

Information regarding the individuals processed within the scope of the investigation is as follows:

Fatma Kaplan HÜRRİYET – Mayor of İzmit

Murat HÜRRİYET – Mayor's Husband

Ömer AKIN – General Manager of İzmit Municipality Bekaş

Gökhan ERCAN – CHP İzmit District Chair

Leyla KIRAN – Tender Officer

Seyhan ÖZCAN – Financial Affairs Manager

Hamit İlker ULUSOY – Municipal Council Member, Survey Engineer

Nusret Ömürhan YILMAZ – Private Secretary

Figan ÇETİN – Former Licensing Manager

Burak GÜREŞEN – Technical Affairs Manager

Engin ERTAÇ – Former Küçükçekmece Mayoral Candidate Nominee

Mehmet ERSOYLU – Support Services Manager

Hakan ORAL – Bekaş Band Conductor

İrfan CAN – Mayor's Driver

Hüseyin DEMİRKIR – Former Municipal Police Commissioner

Özlem Kırma DALKIÇ – Deputy Manager of Purchasing Affairs

Yusuf KIRICI – Rem Peyzaj İnşaat Taahhüt Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Demet IŞILDAK – Sole Proprietorship

Zekiye Köstekli ORAL – Tasfiye Hâlinde Özek Prodüksiyon ve Danışmanlık Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Adem OK – Yenibifikir Temizlik İlaçlama ve Taahhüt Sanayi Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Fatih YAŞAR – YK Turizm Otomotiv ve İnşaat Sanayi Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Kenan YILMAZ – YK Turizm Otomotiv ve İnşaat Sanayi Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Yasin OK – Zirvetur Araç Kiralama Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Remzi GÜNGÖR – Nursel Asfalt Nakliyat İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Çetin SARICA – MDS İşletmecilik Çevre ve Sağlık Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Şirketi

Ramazan KIRICI – Kırıcılar İnşaat Tarım ve Hayvancılık Peyzajcılık Sanayi Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Yüksel KIRICI – Uygar Asfalt İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Cemil ÇELİK – Bekaş Bilişim Bayındırlık İnşaat Özel Sağlık Eğitim Enerji Gıda Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi

Ali Han ÜNAL – DBSA İnşaat Hırdavat Müşavirlik Petrol Sanayi Ticaret Limited Şirketi

Nihat ÖNAL – Arı Pazarlama Hırdavat Taahhüt

Selin Evren ÖZOĞLU – Lawyer

News Source: 12punto