CHP-run Şişli Municipality had granted a tender favor to the family of AKP's Cüneyt Yüksel; once again, the citizens paid the price
The fuel station and land owned by the municipality, which former Şişli Mayor Muammer Keskin leased to İsmail Hakkı Yüksel—the brother of 23rd Term AKP MP and current TBMM Justice Committee Chairman Cüneyt Yüksel—revealed a story that is quintessentially Turkish. The valuable municipal land was filled with unlicensed constructions by the company that held the irregular lease, and these illegal structures were then rented out to citizens. The newly elected Şişli Mayor, Resul Emrah Şahan, issued a formal notice to Yüksel Holding, and the contract was canceled by a municipal council decision; the ones who suffered were the business owners who had rented the spaces, unaware of the situation.
12punto
In 2020, during Muammer Keskin's term as mayor, the Şişli Municipality leased a 4,202-square-meter municipal area, which included a fuel station, to Mehmet Emin Yüksel Holding for 10 years.
Although the tender specifications included a note stating, “The tenant, M.E. Yüksel Holding, cannot make renovations or additions to this gas station, or the station's market and outbuildings, without official permission from the Şişli Municipality,” the tenant, M.E. Yüksel Holding, demolished the market and outbuilding areas after some time.
New illegal structures were built without permission from the municipality and were then rented out.
BROTHER OF TBMM JUSTICE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CÜNEYT YÜKSEL
At that time, AKP council members did not intervene regarding the illegal structures either.
AKP Council Member Mehmet Öztürk was on the Şişli Municipality's 2020 audit committee. Öztürk did not show any reaction to the gas station tender.
This was because Cüneyt Yüksel, the brother of İsmail Hakkı Yüksel, who leased the municipal fuel station for 10 years, was an AKP Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) member. Cüneyt Yüksel currently serves as the Chairman of the TBMM Justice Committee.
İsmail Hakkı Yüksel, the brother of Cüneyt Yüksel, who was also a 23rd Term AKP MP, is known as the owner of Ali Baba Tourism and the Crown Plaza Harbiye Hotel.
While AKP and CHP members were acting in concert in Şişli, the unauthorized demolition of the structures at the gas station and the subsequent construction of new illegal buildings required the termination of the contract, yet the contract was not terminated.
Moreover, as a result of the recorded tender, 32 million Turkish Liras were collected, whereas the municipality should have collected 36 million liras.
RENTED OUT ILLEGAL STRUCTURES
M.E. Yüksel Holding had carried out the demolition of the buildings belonging to the Şişli Municipality, which were built in 1996, with a 'renovation permit' in 2001, and in addition to this, it had exceeded the leased area and built new illegal structures.
Although the tender specifications stated, 'The tenant cannot sublease this place,' Yüksel Petrol, affiliated with Mehmet Emin Yüksel Holding, rented out the structures it built illegally in 2023.
On the other hand, despite a decision by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority stating that fuel station dealerships cannot be granted by distribution companies for more than 5 years, the Şişli Municipality under Mayor Muammer Keskin had made a 10-year lease agreement with Mehmet Emin Yüksel Holding.
COURT OF ACCOUNTS IDENTIFIED PUBLIC LOSS, DEMANDED CANCELLATION
The Court of Accounts (Sayıştay), which came to inspect the Şişli Municipality in 2022 and conducted a financial audit, identified a public loss. It requested the cancellation of the tender and the contract. A report was written.
Following the Court of Accounts report and the local elections held across Turkey on March 31, 2024, Resul Emrah Şahan, who became the Mayor of Şişli, issued a formal notice to M.E. Yüksel Holding, and one week after the notice, the contract was terminated by a municipal council decision.
In the formal notice sent to M.E. Yüksel Holding, the Şişli Municipality stated that the 4,202-square-meter area belonged to the municipality, could not be subleased, and emphasized that the illegal structures built had been identified.
Yüksel Petrol, affiliated with M.E. Yüksel Holding, which violated the contract it signed with the Şişli Municipality by subleasing despite having no authority to do so, caused great grievances for the business owners.
It was learned that the business owners who rented the spaces at an advanced rough construction stage made renovation expenditures amounting to 5-6 million TL.
BUSINESS OWNERS ARE VICTIMIZED AND ANXIOUS
However, the business owners who rented the spaces are now facing the danger of both losing their businesses and being left under the burden of the expenses they incurred in the past.
When the M.E. Yüksel Holding contract was canceled, it planned to gain time in the legal process and made attempts to evict its tenants to gain an advantage.
It was learned that representatives of the holding frequently pressured the business occupants to leave to the point of harassment.
Speaking to 12punto and requesting anonymity due to security concerns, a business owner said, "This place is right next to the Şişli Municipality. We applied to the municipality for a license many times. The officials said the license was not ready but could be issued after 3-5 months. The municipality knows this area belongs to it. It is aware that a public loss has been identified and has taken action in line with the municipality's interests. They should have warned us. It took steps to save the area it owns. If they had warned the business owners who were renting during this process, we would not have been victimized. The tradesmen are in a difficult situation. We are waiting for help from the municipality. Furthermore, Yüksel Petrol, which rented out the spaces despite having no right to sublease, pressured us to vacate the premises. It is an unsettling pressure," he said.