The AKP's obsession with the IMM: It has increased exactly 10-fold during the Ekrem İmamoğlu era!
Having lost the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) to CHP candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu in 2019, the AKP has conducted a series of audits on the IMM ever since. The number of audits has increased 10-fold compared to the Kadir Topbaş era, during which only 1 investigation was approved. However, when it comes to Ekrem İmamoğlu, permission has been granted for 9 different investigations in the last 6 years. The number of Court of Accounts audits has also reached record levels; furthermore, for the first time in its history, the IMM was subjected to a general inspection by the Ministry of Interior.
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The AKP's loss of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) in the 2019 local elections brought with it a striking increase in audit processes directed at the municipality.
Following the inauguration of CHP's Ekrem İmamoğlu, there has been an explosion in the number of investigations and inquiries directed at the IMM.
According to the report by Halk TV, the number of audits conducted and files opened against the IMM by the Ministry of Interior, the Court of Accounts, public prosecutors, and various official institutions has increased approximately 10-fold when compared to previous periods.
ONLY 1 OF THE 23 INVESTIGATIONS OPENED AGAINST TOPBAŞ WAS APPROVED
It has emerged that 23 investigations were opened during Kadir Topbaş's 13-year tenure as mayor, but permission was granted for only 1 of them. No permission was granted for any of the 3 investigations opened against Mevlüt Uysal, who served for a short period after Topbaş.
In contrast, 40 different investigations have been launched against Ekrem İmamoğlu to date; permission was granted for 9 of these, and 4 have been concluded.
COURT OF ACCOUNTS INQUIRIES HAVE ALSO MULTIPLIED
A similar picture exists regarding Court of Accounts audits. During the Topbaş era, no inquiries were made by the Court of Accounts against the IMM Mayor. Only 1 audit was recorded during the Uysal era. During the İmamoğlu era, however, 10 different inquiries were conducted.
The number of audits directed at the IMM's central organization, IETT, ISKI, and affiliated subsidiaries has also reached staggering levels. While a total of 147 audits were conducted in previous periods, this number has risen to 1,528 during the İmamoğlu era.
COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTIONS APPLIED FOR THE FIRST TIME
Between 2019 and 2022, the IMM was subjected to a general inspection by the Ministry of Interior for the first time. In 2022, special audits were conducted for the first time in cooperation with the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and MASAK, in addition to the Ministry of Interior. These examinations covered a wide spectrum, from personnel recruitment to licensing processes, and from tender practices to income-expenditure accounts.