BREAKING NEWS... 'Urban Consensus' operation targeting CHP municipalities

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched a new operation targeting CHP-run municipalities. As part of the operation dubbed "Urban Consensus" (Kent Uzlaşısı), the deputy mayors of Kartal and Ataşehir were detained, and detention warrants were issued for 7 municipal council members serving in various municipalities. It was learned that searches are ongoing at the municipal buildings.

On the other hand, an indictment has been prepared against 21 individuals, including Kartal Mayor Gökhan Yüksel, on charges of "misconduct in office." The indictment, prepared by the Special Investigation Bureau of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, alleges that 44 municipal properties were leased between 2019 and 2021 in violation of the State Tender Law. It was stated that the investigation into this matter is continuing.

Those detained include Kartal Deputy Mayor C.Y., Ataşehir Deputy Mayor L.G., Üsküdar Municipal Council Member B.K., Sancaktepe Municipal Council Member E.G., Fatih Municipal Council Member G.A., Tuzla Municipal Council Member H.Ö., Adalar Municipal Council Member N.A., Şişli Municipal Council Member S.G., and Beyoğlu Municipal Council Member T.Ş.

The statement made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the matter is as follows:

“Within the scope of the investigation being conducted by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in coordination with the Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Branch;

In the position paper published in December 2023, which was determined by the DEM Party as its local election strategy; it was observed that within the framework of the strategy outlined under the name of 'Urban Consensus,' a search for a ground for dialogue/alliance with different segments in the western provinces of Turkey was initiated, and in this context, through meetings/negotiations held under the 'Urban Consensus' formula, methods such as not fielding candidates in provinces/districts where an agreement was reached, fielding one's own candidate under the umbrella of different parties, and obtaining quotas in municipal councils were pursued,

Looking at the statements made by the PKK/KCK leadership regarding the subject and reflected in open sources;

-KCK Co-Chair Bese Hozat, codenamed Hülya ORAN, stated in her speech on 05/11/2024 on Medya Haber Television, which broadcasts in parallel with the organization; that 'the name of the unity and joint struggle of Kurds and Turks, and their alliance, is Urban Consensus, and that Urban Consensus is the joint stance/consensus of Turks and Kurds,'

-In an article written by PKK/KCK Executive Council Member Cuma, codenamed Cemil BAYIK, and published in Serxwebun Magazine, which broadcasts in parallel with the organization, prior to the 31/03/2024 elections;

'The strategy expressed as Urban Consensus is a correct decision, and with this method, while the Kurdish people can field their own candidates and achieve success in (so-called) Kurdistan and in Turkish cities where they are densely populated, they can further increase their political weight in other Turkish cities by ensuring the victory of candidates who are democratic, freedom-loving, approach the Kurdish issue democratically, see the Kurdish people as friends, and have a stance of solidarity by finding the Kurdish people's cause just, and that this will be an important step taken for the development of the freedom struggle and the democratic political solution of the Kurdish issue,' statements were included,

-In an interview with PKK/KCK Executive Council member Hüseyin Avareş, codenamed Mustafa KARASU, published on 04/04/2024 in the ANF News Agency, which is sympathetic to the organization; he expressed that 'the DEM Party is not in a general alliance and consensus in Turkey in this election, but that it is pursuing a policy of making the ruling party lose together with all democratic forces in very strategic areas of Turkey with the 'urban consensus' policy, and that this situation should be seen as an attitude of making democracy forces win, not a specific party, and that it would be beneficial for the opposition to understand it this way,'

In conclusion, when the above-mentioned issues are evaluated together with the information and documents obtained within the scope of the investigations carried out against the terrorist organization, especially the HDK structure;

It has been understood that the theory of the Urban Consensus formula was created by the terrorist organization's leadership, that it is a formula to be applied in some areas within the democratic autonomy system, that it was created within the framework of planning to establish an autonomy system by winning local administrations in the eastern provinces and to include the Kurdish population in local administrations in the western provinces with a system similar to the autonomy system, and that it was named 'Urban Consensus,' that with the Urban Consensus formula, it was aimed for Kurds in western provinces and districts to have a say in municipal council decisions, to take part in local administrations, and to be a political balance as a result of obtaining certain numbers of quotas in municipal councils in exchange for a candidate to be agreed upon and supported, even if they cannot win the municipalities, that the Autonomy System and Urban Consensus formula are an organizational system above the DEM Party, and that the formations within the organization (DBP, HDK) that carry out work especially on organization are the main institutions that develop and manage the organization's grassroots (public) organizing system.

Regarding the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), according to the reports prepared by the Counter-Terrorism Department; it has been determined that it is a continuation of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which was accepted as an element of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization and also as a terrorist organization itself by the decision of the 16th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation dated 02/12/2019 and numbered 2018/4589 Basis - 2019/7385 Decision, that HDK is a front structure with a legal appearance and an alternative parliament to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), that its components are the legal-extension structures of the terrorist organizations on the HBDH front, that its councils show identity with the KCK contract, that it organizes the social sphere by organizing protest marches, press releases, rallies, etc., with a legal appearance in line with the instructions of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, that it tried to make the Democratic Autonomy strategy accepted by channeling into the masses in society by organizing the social sphere during the October 6-7-8 Kobani incidents, the declarations of Democratic Autonomy, and the Trench-Barricade incidents, that it sent personnel to the rural areas of terrorist organizations, and that it is hierarchically located as the umbrella structure of the political field organization under the KCK/TDÖ fragment organization, which is the so-called Turkey Executive of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization. When the main investigation file conducted by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the members of the HDK Umbrella Structure of the terrorist organization operating in Istanbul is examined, according to the organizational archive seized, it has been determined that they are HDK members (in organizational terms, so-called Labor Council member, District Council Member, Women's Council Member, General Council Member, Culture and Art Commission Member, Delegate Member, etc.) in the parallel parliament structure of the terrorist organization;

1-Suspect C.Y. as Kartal Deputy Mayor,

2-Suspect L.G. as Ataşehir Deputy Mayor,

3-Suspect B.K. as Üsküdar Municipal Council Member,

4-Suspect E.G. as Sancaktepe Municipal Council Member,

5-Suspect G.A. as Fatih Municipal Council Member,

6-Suspect H.Ö. as Tuzla Municipal Council Member,

7-Suspect N.A. as Adalar Municipal Council Member,

8-Suspect S.G. as Şişli Municipal Council Member,

9-Suspect T.Ş. as Beyoğlu Municipal Council Member,

that they were elected and started to serve after the 31/03/2024 local elections within the scope of the 'Urban Consensus' activity upon the instruction given by the terrorist organization and are still in office, and considering that the autonomy system and urban consensus formula are an organizational system above the DEM Party, and that the formations within the organization (DBP, HDK) that carry out work especially on organization are the main institutions that develop and manage the organization's grassroots (public) organizing system, it has been understood that the aforementioned suspects are members of the organization who carry out activities within the scope of the terrorist organization's Urban Consensus activity;

In order to apprehend and detain a total of (10) suspects, including the suspects mentioned above and Suspect I.P. (a civilian individual connected to Beyoğlu Municipality), who was also determined to be an HDK member, and to carry out search and seizure procedures to seize organizational documents and other criminal evidence, all suspects were apprehended and detained as of 06.00 on 11/02/2025 within the scope of the simultaneous operation, and search procedures are continuing by the TEM Branch Directorate teams at the residences, workplaces, and the designated rooms of the suspects C.Y. and L.G. in the Municipalities where they serve.

Information will be provided regarding developments later.

Our investigations will be deepened and continued in order to expose the Urban Consensus activity, which aims to increase the effectiveness of the terrorist organization in metropolitan provinces, with all its elements and members.”

OPERATION ALSO TARGETS KARTAL MAYOR

An indictment had also been prepared for 21 defendants, including Kartal Mayor Gökhan Yüksel, for "misconduct in office" on the grounds that 44 municipal properties were leased illegally.

In the indictment prepared by the Special Investigation Bureau of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an investigation had been launched upon the allegation that the suspects committed misconduct in office by leasing 44 municipal properties between 2019 and 2021 in violation of the provisions of Article 51 of the State Tender Law.