Ali Yerlikaya announces number of investigations opened into municipalities: '59 are related to AK Party members'

The 2025 budget of the Ministry of Interior was discussed at the TBMM Planning and Budget Committee.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya answered questions from deputies at the committee.

Regarding questions about the tension experienced in the committee, Yerlikaya claimed that deputies were trying to obstruct him and argued that it did not befit the Grand National Assembly. Yerlikaya stated that the allegations that he entered with 200 police officers were impossible due to the small size of the area where the committee was held.

Yerlikaya stated that project-based and technical follow-up operations regarding illegal betting are continuing, saying, "To date, 9,780 arrests have been made. Furthermore, I would like to state that 9,874 web pages have been blocked from access and 77,979 social media accounts have been closed."

DEMONSTRATIONS AND MARCHES

Providing information about meetings and protest marches, Yerlikaya used the expression, "In 2022 and 2023, the rate of actions deemed inappropriate in order to ensure public order and security was only 2.25 percent. In 2024, between January 1 and October 31, 33 million 69 thousand people participated in 80,299 action events. Intervention was made in 283 of these that were against the law; this rate is 0.4 percent. We will continue to strictly implement Article 34 of the Constitution and the relevant Law No. 2911."

Emphasizing that regular inspections are carried out in removal centers, Yerlikaya said that both judicial and administrative investigations are initiated when a single incident occurs.

Emphasizing their determination in the fight against drugs, Yerlikaya made the statement, "We see the supply and demand front regarding drugs as a mobilization. We all have children. We are working for our future. Arrest rates; there is no such arrest efficiency in Europe or anywhere else in the world regarding manufacturing and trafficking."

Reminding that they established the AI-powered Narcotic Case Analysis System (NARVAS), Yerlikaya said, "122,708 reports have been received. As these reports increase, our hand gets stronger. Of the over 500 organized crime groups dismantled in the first 10 months of this year, 136 are related to narcotic crimes."

Regarding calls for a driver's license amnesty, Yerlikaya noted the following:

"To date, 482,541 people's driver's licenses have been confiscated, 405,850 of them because they were driving under the influence of alcohol. The number of people driving under the influence of drugs is 17,518. The number of those who refused the alcohol and drug test to be performed by law enforcement is 37,623. This addiction, such a thing cannot be, how can I let them out on the road."

"THERE ARE 1,701 COMPLAINTS, INVESTIGATION PERMISSION GRANTED FOR 176"

Yerlikaya also provided information regarding the number of investigations into municipalities, saying, "Out of 1,701 complaints, investigation permission has been granted for 176. Of those for which investigation permission was granted, 59 are related to AK Party, 58 to CHP, 21 to MHP, 7 to IYI Party, and 10 to HDP members."

Providing detailed information about suicides of law enforcement personnel, Yerlikaya said, "Within the 1.5 years since I took office, unfortunately, 155 of our law enforcement personnel, including 79 police, 74 gendarmerie, and 2 coast guard, have committed suicide; may they rest in peace."

Minister Yerlikaya touched upon the fight against violence against women, arguing that they are committed to the principle of zero tolerance in this regard.

Regarding questions about electronic shackle capacity, Yerlikaya said, "We do not have an electronic shackle capacity problem, but may God not make it necessary to use them. They are given by court order. Currently, I can increase 1,500 to 3-4 thousand in a second, this is also domestic and national, there is no problem with this."

ONE HEART CAMPAIGN

When asked about the interest on the money collected within the scope of the One Heart Campaign, Yerlikaya replied, "The total interest of the accounts currently held in three public banks is 16 billion 107 million 806 thousand 723 liras, it is sitting in 3 public banks. Since this interest is generated there, it remains in the same account, and the Court of Accounts comes and audits all of these."

Explaining that comprehensive address update studies are being carried out for Syrians, Yerlikaya noted the following:

"We went to their addresses one by one, we counted them in 6 months. 731,146 people did not update their addresses. 580,819 people updated their addresses later. We also get from Frontex figures that 150,327 people went across irregularly, so we deducted this, currently there are 2 million 935 thousand 742 net registered, I counted, this is the truth, these are Syrians. I have introduced a monthly notification obligation for them."

Stating that there are 90,018 existing vehicles in the General Directorate of Security, Gendarmerie General Command, and Coast Guard Command, Yerlikaya said, "Our friends are much better trained than normal civilians and receive continuous training. But despite this, accidents... Unfortunately, 17 of our personnel are martyrs. 1,602 vehicle accidents have occurred and we are conducting both judicial and administrative investigations for every vehicle."

Stating that he participated in the 6th Cilo Festival (Cilo Fest) events held at the Sat Glacier Lakes at an altitude of 3,400 meters in the Yüksekova district of Hakkari, Yerlikaya said, "We danced halay with our fellow citizens there. We danced a Kurdish halay, and I enjoyed it very much. But let me tell you this; no matter what language you dance the halay in, there is no problem. The problem is the content, the speech, the subject, if there is a crime for which the prosecutor will say 'come here', you cannot escape the prosecutor no matter what language you do it in."

Reminding that the phrase "City trustees cannot be supporters of terrorism" belongs to him, Yerlikaya said:

"We have 1,408 municipalities. They all came with the people's vote to see to local common needs. Neither they nor we can escape the Penal Code. Once you set foot there, there is an immunity period, okay, this is separate, even here it files a lawsuit and waits. But if the subject is terrorism, it enters a different lane. There are many DEM-run municipalities that currently have no investigation or prosecution by the prosecutor. We are a state of law. Read Article 127 of the Constitution and Articles 45 and 46 of the Municipal Law here."

After Minister Yerlikaya answered the deputies' questions, the budgets of the Ministry of Interior, as well as the General Directorate of Security, Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command, Presidency of Migration Management, and Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency were accepted in the committee.