Claim that 'bales of dollars' were found during Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality search proves false: Stated in official records

Pro-government media had alleged that "bales of cash were found" during the search conducted at the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality. However, it turned out that the footage circulated as the moment of the search was actually archive footage from different operations.

According to a report by Halktv.com.tr, information obtained from municipal sources indicated that no criminal evidence was found during the search. This fact was clearly recorded in the official search report prepared by law enforcement.

Nevertheless, following the search, claims that "bales of dollars were found in the office" appeared on some news websites and social media accounts.

Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality issued a public statement, declaring that these reports were untrue and intentionally circulated. The statement from the municipality noted that the images of the safe and foreign currency used in the reports were not taken at the municipal building, and that archive footage from different operations had been manipulatively edited into these news stories.

Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality also announced that it would exercise all legal rights against such baseless and misleading claims and that legal proceedings have been initiated against the relevant individuals or institutions.

The statement included the following remarks:

“These publications clearly:

Aim to create public pressure on the judicial process,

It aims to discredit our Mayor in the eyes of the public,

and is being used as part of a perception operation against the will of the people.”

While emphasizing that services will continue without any interruption, the municipality stated that they have full faith that the ongoing process will be overcome in solidarity with the public.

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL: IF 1 LIRA WAS FOUND, I AM QUITTING POLITICS TODAY

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel strongly denied the allegations in a speech he gave in Gaziosmanpaşa today.

Stating that not a single penny was found during the searches conducted as part of the operation, Özel said, "If 1 lira was found there, I am quitting politics today."

Özel said the following in his speech:

"We won the elections during a process that some, who asked 'Will the CHP win Gaziosmanpaşa too?', underestimated, and as a result of our struggle against the objections of those who could not believe it, we protected the will of Gaziosmanpaşa and received our certificate of election. We are trying to fight against the malice of an approach that tries to obtain a municipality it could not win through trustees and slander."