Breaking News... Operation at Uşak Municipality: Mayor Özkan Yalım detained

A significant development has occurred as part of an investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, coordinated by the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Branch. Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım has been detained over allegations of bribery.

The investigation into Yalım was launched following accusations that he accepted bribes from individuals and companies. As a result of the efforts, 11 suspects were apprehended in simultaneous operations conducted on March 27, 2026, in the provinces of Uşak, Ankara, and Kocaeli.

INVESTIGATION BY THE ISTANBUL CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

The latest operation, like many previous investigations, was conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Branch took part in the operation in which Özkan Yalım was also detained. Those detained were taken to the police station for processing.

STATEMENT FROM THE CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

In a statement regarding the operation, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office noted the following:

"Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime Investigation Bureau; it was determined that bribes were obtained by creating duplicate invoices for tenders awarded by Uşak Municipality to companies, that benefits were secured by pressuring companies to grant partnership shares in new businesses related to the tender subject to the Mayor's family members under the threat that the tender would otherwise not be awarded to them, that deputy mayors collected large sums of money into their personal accounts under the guise of aid/donations to Uşak Spor, that cash was brought to Mayor Özkan Yalım's office under the guise of donations and handed over to the private secretary without a receipt being issued, leading to embezzlement, that the mayor, his deputies, and senior municipal officials spent money at entertainment venues at night and these expenses were paid from the municipal budget via meal invoices under the guise of representation/hospitality expenses, that Özkan YALIM transferred all of his registered assets to his driver, Cihan ARAS, in 2025, anticipating that his ill-gotten assets might be seized in an operation, that he hired an individual named A.A., with whom he had a romantic relationship, to a high-salary position at the municipality in 2024, although the individual did not actually work at the municipality, and that personnel actually working at his own Yalım Garden Facilities were shown as municipal employees with their insurance premiums paid by the municipality,

Following complainant and secret witness testimonies alleging that Özkan Yalım requested 10 vehicles from a businessman named E.A., but after E.A. stated he would not provide more than 3 vehicles, the shopping mall owned by E.A. was sealed on the grounds that it did not comply with regulations and a 65 million TL fine was imposed, the investigation was launched into the crimes of “Bribery,” “Extortion,” and “Rigging Tenders.” It was determined that there was intense HTS (communication traffic) and common base station records between the relevant individuals regarding the dates in question, consistent with the allegations in the complainant and witness statements. Within the scope of MASAK reports, it was found that there were high-amount money movements/asset purchases of unknown origin in the suspects' accounts, cash deposit/withdrawal transactions, and high-amount SWIFT transfers sent by foreign companies/individuals. It was determined that there was a discrepancy between the volume and frequency of the financial transactions carried out by the suspects and their financial and professional profiles, and that the witness and complainant statements were consistent with the technical and financial data obtained,

In line with these assessments, a simultaneous operation was carried out on 27.03.2026 in the provinces of Uşak, Ankara, and Kocaeli where the suspects were located, and a total of 11 suspects were apprehended and detained as part of the operation. The investigation is continuing in a multi-faceted and meticulous manner, and it is respectfully announced to the public."