Breaking News: Zeydan Karalar, Muhittin Böcek, and Abdurrahman Tutdere detained! 'I am being taken to Istanbul'

Operations targeting CHP-run municipalities continue.

As part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into allegations of corruption, a large number of individuals have been detained, including Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin and his driver, lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, former Seyhan Municipality Cleaning Affairs Manager Özcan Zenger (who served during Karalar's tenure as Seyhan Mayor), Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, and Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan.

Announcing that he had been detained, Tutdere stated in a post on his X account: "I have been detained at my home, I am being taken to Istanbul."

It has been learned that the operation in question began following the testimony of Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is alleged to be the leader of a criminal organization and whose statements were cited as the basis for the Beşiktaş Municipality investigation launched in Istanbul in recent months.

FIRST STATEMENT FROM CHP

Following the detention of Karalar and Tutdere, CHP Şanlıurfa MP Mahmut Tanal made a statement.

Connecting to Sözcü TV, Tanal stated the following:

"Get well soon to our democracy and the rule of law. Aziz İhsan Aktaş was detained in Beşiktaş during the first operation; while he was in prison, he had filed for a concordat regarding his own companies. However, the court rejected it at that time. After he began acting as a whistleblower while in prison, the court accepted his concordat application.

We see that the government and Aziz İhsan Aktaş are acting in collusion."

MUHİTTİN BÖCEK ALSO DETAINED

In line with the instructions of the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek has also been detained.

CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut, who also announced that Böcek had been detained, said: "Those who use the judiciary as a stick for political revenge are not concerned with the law, but with protecting their own power. We will never bow down to this dirty order that strikes at the national will."

According to a report by the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak, it was learned that the reason for Böcek's detention was the result of Yusuf Yadoğlu's testimony.

STATEMENT FROM THE ISTANBUL CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

The following was recorded in the statement of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the latest detentions:

"In the investigation file numbered 2024/228233; as a result of the examination of the statements taken from some suspects who stated that they wanted to benefit from effective remorse provisions and the documents they submitted;

As a result of findings regarding allegations that they were forced to pay money to individuals designated by Fatih Keleş due to pressure and coercion exerted by Fatih Keleş within the scope of tenders received from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) and its subsidiaries, it was decided to conduct search and seizure operations at the addresses of Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin and his driver, who were determined to have received the money, and to detain them for the crime of extortion; it was decided to conduct search and seizure operations at the address of lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu, who was determined to have engaged in activities to prevent organizational disintegration by keeping suspects under control and pressure during meetings held with senior organization executives before the operation and during prison visits after the operation, and to detain him for the crime of being a member of a criminal organization,

In the investigation file numbered 2024/236201; as a result of the examination of the statements taken from witnesses working at companies owned by Aziz İhsan Aktaş—who was released after showing remorse and providing detailed statements while imprisoned for establishing and managing a criminal organization and bribery—and some suspects detained within the scope of the investigation; as a result of findings regarding allegations that Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar demanded unfair financial benefits from company executives doing business with the municipality during his tenure as Seyhan Mayor and that money was given to Özcan Zenger on different dates upon his directing individuals to the then-Seyhan Municipality Cleaning Affairs Manager Özcan Zenger, it was decided to conduct search and seizure operations at the addresses of Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Özcan Zenger and to detain them for the crime of extortion; as a result of findings regarding allegations that Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere demanded unfair financial benefits from company executives doing business with the municipality and that money was given to Ceyhan Kayhan on different dates upon his directing individuals to Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan, it was decided to conduct search and seizure operations at the addresses of Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere and Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan and to detain them for the crime of extortion,

It was decided to conduct search and seizure operations at the addresses of 4 (four) suspects determined to have registered vehicles and real estate purchased with proceeds of crime by former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who is imprisoned for bribery and membership in a criminal organization, and to detain them for the crime of laundering assets obtained from crime; in the investigation file numbered 2025/76021, within the scope of findings that former Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün demanded real estate from projects in return for construction permits and occupancy permits from firms building in the district, forced some business owners to provide real estate, registered some of the real estate acquired in this context under the names of his relatives, and made payments to firms he had work done for off the books, it was decided to conduct search and seizure operations at the addresses of a total of 4 (four) suspects, including company owners determined to have given a total of 4 (four) villas to Hasan Akgün's relatives and firms, and those determined to have taken over the real estate, and to detain them for the crimes of bribery and receiving bribes."

News Source: 12punto