Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, along with the Mayor's Chief of Staff Alihan Koçoğlu, architect Burçin Çevik, and contractor Bülent Orhan Tozkoparan, were arrested on July 29 as part of an operation conducted against the Üsküdar Municipality on allegations of "bribery" and "establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes."
Deputy Mayor Ceyhun Ünlü and business agent Adem Altıntaş were released under judicial control with a travel ban.
In the referral document for Dedetaş's arrest, it was alleged that the actions subject to the investigation were carried out "within the scope of the activities of a criminal organization led by Dedetaş." The prosecutor's office claimed that Dedetaş "received money in exchange for occupancy permits" and "conducted all processes under her own instructions," further alleging that "contractors were forced to sign contracts with Kent A.Ş."
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu reacted to the arrest decision.
İmamoğlu used the following expressions in his message:
"The Palace regime, which has handed politics over to the judiciary, has this time targeted and arrested our Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş.
This situation, which drags elected mayors into courthouse corridors one after another and leaks detention footage, is an attack on the constitutional order and the nation's right to vote.
We stand with our Mayor Sinem."
News Source: 12punto
