Breaking News... Corruption and terror investigation into IMM: Ekrem İmamoğlu, whose diploma was revoked, has been detained! 20 police vehicles arrived at his home...

Following the revocation of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's university diploma yesterday evening (March 18), an investigation has been launched into the IMM.

Within the scope of the investigation, detention warrants have been issued for more than 100 people, including IMM Mayor İmamoğlu and his press advisor Murat Ongun.

TERROR ALLEGATIONS FROM PRO-GOVERNMENT MEDIA

Sabah Newspaper, known for its proximity to the government, claimed that the dawn operation, involving 3,000 police officers, was related to IMM Medya A.Ş. and terrorism.

DAWN RAID ON İMAMOĞLU

Republican People's Party (CHP) Group Deputy Chairman Gökhan Günaydın announced that 20 vehicles full of law enforcement officers had arrived at the residence of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, whose diploma was revoked.

FATİH ALTAYLI: İMAMOĞLU IS BEING DETAINED

Journalist Fatih Altaylı also shared the latest information he received from İmamoğlu's lawyers.

In a post on his X account, Altaylı stated, "According to information currently coming from his lawyers, law enforcement officers have arrived at Ekrem İmamoğlu's residence and he is being detained."

Meanwhile, it was learned that Necati Özkan was also detained and his office was searched.

MURAT ONGUN: I AM BEING DETAINED

On the other hand, IMM Medya A.Ş. Chairman of the Board Murat Ongun also announced that he was being detained. In a post on his X account, Ongun stated, "I am being detained. They think that by silencing us, they will prevent us from defending and supporting Ekrem İmamoğlu. I am calling out to our citizens who have accounts on all social media platforms: From this hour on, Ekrem İmamoğlu is entrusted to the Turkish nation. Protect, look after, and support him! They cannot defeat the nation. Everything will be very beautiful."

ÖZGÜR ÇELİK: THEY ARE STAGING A COUP THROUGH DEMOCRACY

CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik made a statement regarding the investigation and detention warrants launched against the IMM.

Stating that "They are staging a coup through democracy," Çelik said, "This coup attempt will be condemned in the conscience of our nation."

Here is the post Çelik made on his X account:

"They are currently attempting a coup against democracy through the judiciary they have politicized. This is a crime!

The criminals will be held accountable before history.

Our bureaucracy and law enforcement forces must not be partners in this crime.

This coup attempt will be condemned in the conscience of our nation!"

PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE EXPLAINS THE REASON FOR THE INVESTIGATION

It was stated that the operation, which is being carried out against more than 100 people, concerns Medya A.Ş. tenders, the "city consensus" (kent uzlaşısı), and a terror investigation. The statements indicate that two separate investigations have been launched against İmamoğlu and the suspects.

The first investigation is related to the structure called "city consensus." Within the scope of this investigation, detention warrants were issued for IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan. In this investigation, the suspects were accused of "hiring members/sympathizers of terrorist organizations within the IMM subsidiary Istanbul Planning Agency and BİMTAŞ." In this investigation, detention was requested for 7 people, including İmamoğlu, for "committing the crime of aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization."

FIRST INVESTIGATION: AIDING A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

In the first statement made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the following accusations were summarized:

"- The findings that Ekrem İmamoğlu formed an alliance with the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) umbrella structure of the terrorist organization on the basis of a 'city consensus' were announced by media outlets affiliated with the terrorist organization

- İmamoğlu, IMM Deputy Secretary General Polat, Şişli Mayor Şahan, Reform Institute President Çalışkan, fugitive suspect A.B., who was determined to be active in the ideological field structure of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, and H.A., an employee of Spectrum House owned by A.B., and Şişli Deputy Mayor Özdemir took part in the 'City Consensus' activity in participation

- İmamoğlu, together with other suspects, committed the crime of aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization by knowingly participating in the city consensus activity, which aims to increase the effectiveness of the terrorist organization in metropolises as expressed by the organization's management, also considering that the municipal council member lists were determined with his approval in the local elections"

SECOND INVESTIGATION: CORRUPTION

The second investigation is related to corruption charges. In this investigation,

"- It was alleged that many people, including İmamoğlu, forced businessmen to pay money, acted with certain businessmen to gain unfair profit, and laundered the money obtained from the crime by making purchases and sales through pawn individuals,

- İmamoğlu placed people he worked with during his Beylikdüzü Mayoralty period into the IMM,

- They received jobs far above their value by submitting high-priced bids for service procurement-qualified works of Metropolitan Municipality subsidiaries Medya A.Ş. and Kültür A.Ş., and determining the final price themselves,

- Bribes were demanded from many currently active workplaces, and attempts were made to forcibly collect money from victims who did not accept through decisions taken by the Municipal Council,

- Organization members who received tenders from MEDYA A.Ş., KÜLTÜR A.Ş., KİPTAŞ, and İSFALT companies transferred money to construction projects belonging to the organization leader İmamoğlu with the first advance payments they received from the municipality"

allegations were included.

Within the scope of this investigation, detention warrants were issued for a total of 100 people, including İmamoğlu and those stated to be in the position of organization managers, Murat Ongun, Tuncay Yılmaz, Fatih Keleş, Ertan Yıldız, and 95 suspects connected to these individuals.

The full text of the Prosecutor's Office statement is as follows:

"Within the scope of the investigation carried out by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau; regarding the 'city consensus' activity implemented in the local elections held on 31.03.2024, in order to increase the effectiveness of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization in metropolitan provinces, especially in Istanbul, it was determined that terrorist organization leaders CUMA (alias) Cemil BAYIK and HÜSEYİN AVAREŞ (alias) Mustafa KARASU conveyed their opinions and instructions before the said election through media outlets affiliated with the terrorist organization,

The findings that Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu formed an alliance with the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) umbrella structure of the terrorist organization on the basis of a city consensus for the Istanbul local elections were announced by media outlets affiliated with the terrorist organization; according to the reports of the General Directorate of Security Counter-Terrorism Department, the HDK structure, which was determined to have formed an alliance before the Istanbul local elections, is similar to the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which is accepted by the Court of Cassation as the umbrella structure of the terrorist organization, and is in the nature of an alternative parliament to the TBMM of the terrorist organization; based on this finding, simultaneous apprehension and detention operations were applied against HDK members in many provinces, especially in our province, and investigations were carried out and are still ongoing,

In addition, when the municipal council members elected from the CHP quota and the appointed deputy mayors were examined based on the stated findings, it was determined that some of them had links to the terrorist organization and had registered as CHP members only a few days before the 31.03.2024 local elections; to date, a total of 10 people, including Ataşehir and Kartal Deputy Mayors and 8 IMM council members, who were elected from the CHP quota in various districts of Istanbul and appointed as deputy mayors, were found to be in the HDK data and were determined to be members of the organization, and were detained and arrested within the scope of our investigations; apart from these individuals, 8 municipal council members were arrested within the scope of our investigations due to their other connections to the terrorist organization outside of the HDK; 18 council members who are members of the terrorist organization have been arrested in the manner described so far, and investigation procedures regarding the remaining suspects are continuing,

According to the information and documents obtained within the scope of the investigation; Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İMAMOĞLU, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir POLAT, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah ŞAHAN, Reform Institute President Mehmet Ali ÇALIŞKAN, fugitive suspect A.B., who was determined to be active in the ideological field structure of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, H.A. (who was identified in 2018 regarding the transfer of personnel to the rural area of the terrorist organization), an employee of SPECTRUM HOUSE owned by A.B., and Şişli Deputy Mayor Ebru ÖZDEMİR took part in the 'City Consensus' activity in participation; furthermore, it was determined that members/sympathizers of the terrorist organization were hired within the IMM subsidiary Istanbul Planning Agency and BİMTAŞ; considering that suspect Ekrem İMAMOĞLU, together with other suspects, determined the municipal council member lists with his approval in the local elections, it is understood that he committed the crime of aiding the PKK/KCK terrorist organization by knowingly participating in the city consensus activity, which aims to increase the effectiveness of the terrorist organization in metropolises as expressed by the organization's management, and instructions were given to the Istanbul Police Department Counter-Terrorism Branch Directorate to carry out simultaneous apprehension, detention, search, and seizure operations against the (7) named suspects as of 06.15 on 19/03/2025."

The other statement made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is as follows:

"Within the scope of the investigation carried out by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureaus; as a result of the investigation initiated ex officio by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office upon the video footage shared in the public opinion under the title 'Money counting footage in CHP' and for which a public lawsuit was filed, based on the statements of witnesses whose testimonies were taken regarding the irregular fundraising incident, it was stated that many people, especially Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, forced businessmen to pay money, acted with certain businessmen to gain unfair profit, and laundered the money obtained from the crime by making purchases and sales through pawn individuals, and used civilians referred to as 'secret safes' in money transfer and collection; furthermore, the investigation was initiated upon the report prepared by the civil inspectors regarding irregularities in tenders, service procurements, and collusive contracts related to outdoor advertising media carried out by the IMM and its subsidiary companies,

At the stage reached as a result of the investigation procedures; it was determined that organized crime leader Ekrem İmamoğlu brought people who have been with him since his Beylikdüzü Mayoralty period and who are subordinate to him to the heads of the Metropolitan Municipality's units and subsidiaries after becoming the Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor, that the suspects created their own sub-structures to ensure the continuation of the criminal organization, and that they committed the crimes of rigging tenders, qualified fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data, bribery, and extortion in an organized manner through irregular tenders, direct procurement, or service procurement-qualified works in many municipal subsidiaries; that the organization members received jobs far above their value by submitting high-priced bids for service procurement-qualified works of Metropolitan Municipality subsidiaries Medya A.Ş. and Kültür A.Ş. through companies they established both on their own behalf and on behalf of their SGK-registered employees, and by determining the final price themselves; that most of the jobs they received were not completed, and some were imaginary jobs; that they used the money they laundered by issuing fake invoices for their personal enrichment as well as in line with the activities of the criminal organization,

That they obtained the personal data of our citizens living in Istanbul unlawfully and used it for the continuity of the organization; that organization members who received tenders from MEDYA A.Ş., KÜLTÜR A.Ş., KİPTAŞ, and İSFALT companies transferred money to construction projects belonging to the organization leader Ekrem İMAMOĞLU or transferred goods to companies belonging to the individual with the first advance payments they received from the municipality; that payments were made after money was obtained by hand through threats by not making payments to businessmen who received jobs as a result of open tenders from the Metropolitan Municipality; that bribes were demanded from many currently active workplaces, and attempts were made to forcibly collect money from victims who did not accept through decisions taken by the Municipal Council; that real estate obtained as a result of bribery and extortion acts was taken over by businessmen used as the organization's safe, which has been determined by MASAK Reports, referral reports, tax expert examinations, witness statements, and other evidence; in this context, instructions were given to the Istanbul Police Department Financial Crimes Branch Directorate to carry out simultaneous apprehension, detention, search, and seizure operations as of 06.15 on 19/03/2025 against a total of (100) suspects, including the criminal organization leader suspect Ekrem İMAMOĞLU and suspects in the position of organization managers Murat ONGUN, Tuncay YILMAZ, Fatih KELEŞ, Ertan YILDIZ, and (95) suspects connected to these individuals, for the crimes of Being an Organized Crime Leader, Being a Member of an Organized Crime, Extortion, Bribery, Qualified Fraud, Unlawful Acquisition of Personal Data, and Rigging Tenders."