Explosive claim about ABB from İsmail Saymaz! 'If what I'm hearing is true...'

An operation was carried out by police teams yesterday morning within the scope of the concert investigation into the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB).

In the file conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, expenditures for 32 concerts organized between 2021 and 2024 were placed under investigation. According to the file, the ABB is accused of causing a public loss of 154,453,221 TL in the procurement of services for the 32 concerts.

Within the scope of the investigation, 13 people, including former municipal officials, were detained.

It was noted that 8 hours before the operation, former ABB mayor Melih Gökçek of the AKP posted, "Are you ready, Ankara? Are you ready, Turkey? A billion-lira heist is exploding in Ankara."

ABB Mayor Mansur Yavaş, in his statement regarding the operation, said, "We conducted our own review regarding this period (2021-2024) previously. When questions were asked about this. Moreover, civil inspectors also conducted one and no public loss was found here. Now they are trying to take it to a completely different place by adding things like bid rigging into the mix."

Journalist İsmail Saymaz made striking claims in his article on Halk TV regarding the course of the investigation into the ABB.

Claiming that AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is trying to "turn 2028 into a rose garden without thorns" for his re-election as president, Saymaz alleged that after the concert investigation, other municipal companies are next in line.

The relevant part of Saymaz's article is as follows:

“If what I'm hearing is true, other municipal companies are next. For example, the allegation of bid rigging in the Department of Science Affairs and PORTAŞ A.Ş. in 2021 and 2022 could be the subject of an investigation.

What is intended with these operations is to shake Yavaş's 'honest and reliable' image and destroy his reputation. It is this reputation that makes Yavaş the leader in all polls and a potential presidential candidate, and keeps Beştepe awake at night.

Since Yavaş is not someone who would accept entering under the 'President's protection' for fear of being kept in a six-square-meter cell like Özlem Çerçioğlu, he must prepare for the waves that will hit the walls of the ABB. Because it is his turn.”