Who is former Medya A.Ş. General Manager İpek Elif Atayman? Why was she arrested?

As part of an investigation into corruption and the formation of a criminal organization targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), 106 people, including İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, were detained. Among those detained, the court ordered the arrest of İpek Elif Atayman, Deputy General Manager of Şişli Municipality's KENTHAŞ. So, who is İpek Elif Atayman, where is she from, and what positions has she held? Here are the details...

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Who is former Medya A.Ş. General Manager İpek Elif Atayman? Why was she arrested?

Within the scope of two separate investigations targeting the İBB, former Medya A.Ş. General Manager İpek Elif Atayman was detained at her home in Şişli.

After being processed by the police, Atayman was referred to the courthouse and was arrested following her statement to the prosecutor.

Regarding Atayman, the term "fugitive" had been used due to an arrest warrant issued while she was on vacation abroad, despite her returning to the country to provide a statement, a situation that drew significant backlash.

WHO IS İPEK ELİF ATAYMAN?

She graduated from the Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Cinema and Television. Between 1991 and 1998, she worked as a visual director and reporter for various national channels. At the end of the 90s, she left the television sector and began working as a consultant responsible for Press, Broadcasting, and Public Relations at the Şişli Municipality, a position she held for 11 years. During this period, she organized joint projects and social responsibility campaigns with many private institutions and organizations.

Dr. İpek Elif Atayman, who completed her master's degree at Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, served as a communications consultant and executive for many institutions and organizations in different sectors, as well as for political figures and institutions. In 2010, she completed her doctorate at the Marmara University Cinema and Television Department with a thesis titled "Political Cinema: Costa Gavras."

Between March 2016 and October 2018, she served as a mayoral advisor responsible for the press at the Tekirdağ Metropolitan Municipality. In the 2019 local elections, she was part of the communications team for Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and became the General Manager of İBB Medya AŞ in the same year. In 2021, she was appointed as the İBB Affiliates Communications Coordinator. As of August 2024, she was appointed as the Deputy General Manager of KENTHAŞ.