In the statement made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, “Ataşehir Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel was suspended from duty as a temporary measure after he was arrested within the scope of the investigation carried out against him for the crimes of “Establishing an Organization for the Purpose of Committing a Crime and Accepting Bribes”.” statements were included.

19 SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED

19 of the 20 suspects, including Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel, who were detained within the scope of the investigation carried out for allegedly taking bribes regarding tenders, zoning and settlement transactions in Ataşehir Municipality, were arrested.

The names of those arrested are as follows:

Onursal Adıgüzel, Oğuz Kaya, Orhan Aydoğdu, Birkan Birol Yıldız, Mürteza Kutluk, Alpay Arslan, Aysun Gökçen, Basri Onur Dedetaş, Gülbin Ergünay, Ezgi Nur Yılmaz, Aslı Sevinç Afat, Mehmet Yılmaz, Çağlar Kaya, Doğancan Topal, Mesut Bayram, Fatih Velioğlu, Haydar Battal, Murat Gerger and Cengiz Gundogan.

WHAT HAPPENED?

An investigation was launched by the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for the crimes of “bribery”, “establishing, leading and being a member of an organization for the purpose of committing a crime” and “tender rigging” upon notices that Ataşehir Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel, Deputy Mayors Birkan Birol Yıldız, Orhan Aydoğdu and Oğuz Kaya and the relevant unit heads and staff had received bribes regarding tenders, zoning and settlement transactions.

Within the scope of the investigation, MASAK reports and HTS records of the suspects were obtained, and it was found that transactions were made in exchange for bribes in the settlement and building license transactions.

As a result of the work carried out by the Istanbul Police Department’s Financial Crimes Department, the elements and organizational structure of the crime were determined in detail.

In his statement on his NSosal account, Göktaş stated that the Social Services Bill, which includes regulations for maternity leaves and social media and game platforms, was accepted in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and became law. Stating that with these regulations, the maternity leave period for all working mothers has been increased to 24 weeks, Göktaş said:

“WE IMPOSED CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS ON GAMING PLATFORMS”

“As of April 1, 2026, we have granted the right to 8 weeks of additional leave to our mothers who have completed their maternity leave but have not passed 24 weeks since their birth. We have imposed certain obligations on social network providers and game platforms in order to provide safer digital spaces for our children under the age of 15. We have banned people convicted of certain serious crimes from working in areas where our children are concentrated, such as schools, nurseries and dormitories. We are expanding Darülaceze, the well-established symbol of our elderly care services, throughout the country with our strong social state understanding.” Göktaş thanked all the MPs who made great efforts and supported this process, especially the AK Party Group and the People’s Alliance, and said, “In the Decade of Family and Population, I hope that our regulations that will take our ideal of a great and strong Turkey to a new level will be beneficial to our country and nation.” he said.

CHP’s group meeting was marked by the blunder of Chairman Özgür Özel. Ozel, who stuttered while trying to accuse the government of being on the same side as US President Donald Trump, said, “Everyone is on the same side with the one they love. They are on the same side with Europe’s far right, with Trump who supports them, with Netanyahu who is supported by Trump. We are on the same side with Israel, with the Palestine Liberation Organization, with Pedro Sanchez, with Lula in Brazil, with all the democrats of the world.”

‘POLITICAL POORITY’

AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik evaluated: “Özel’s mentioning our President in the same sentence with Netanyahu is an example of political pathlessness. Özgür Özel’s mentality is an unqualified and unconscious mentality that calls Hamas a ‘terrorist organization’, calls Palestinian children Israelis, and still shows its side today.” AK Party Deputy Chairman Faruk Acar also expressed his reaction by saying, “This unconscious and unruly understanding is the clearest proof of the incompetence in the CHP.”

Özel’s statements at the Ataşehir rally the other day, “71 thousand Israeli babies died in the war. Women died. Children died” caused a great reaction. Özel, who had previously described Hamas as a ‘terrorist organization’, had been the target of harsh criticism for a long time.

Within the framework of the comprehensive investigation carried out by the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against Ataşehir Municipality, on April 18, Financial Crimes Department teams carried out simultaneous operations at 45 different addresses and 20 people were detained. While the detainees were being referred to the courthouse, the contractor Hümeyra Ökcun, who was determined to have paid the bribe, stated that she wanted to be a confessor and shared the payments she made between 2024-2026 with the prosecutor’s office.

IF YOU DON’T GIVE, YOU CAN’T WORK

In his statement, Ökcün stated that the turning point of the process was the critical meeting he had with Onursal Adıgüzel. He claimed that he reacted when he was not given a settlement by saying “I gave all the money you wanted, but you do not give me my settlement”. In response, Adıgüzel first presented a justification for expropriation and then put pressure on him by saying “If this issue is not resolved, how will you work in other places?” He stated that after this meeting, the process became more harsh and systematic.

He said that when he wanted to get a building renovation license in 2024 for the project, which started in 2021 and covers an area of ​​130 thousand square meters, he was asked for 2 million dollars through the architect directed by the municipality. He stated that this request was conveyed through architect Erhan Çelebi, that he was pressured by saying “If you do not give it, you cannot get a license for 2 years” and that he had to pay after resisting for about 6 months.

Ökcün claimed that these payments were delivered to people connected to Adıgüzel and Deputy Mayor Birkan Birol Yıldız. The contractor stated that he made a total payment of 3 million 926 thousand dollars, 180 thousand euros and 150 thousand pounds between November 8, 2024 and January 8, 2026, which corresponds to approximately 190 million liras, and all payments were delivered by hand and recorded. He also added that the financial burden, including fees and other items, reached approximately $10 million.

Ökcün explained that the municipal police tried to shut down the concrete plant and that this pressure intensified during periods when payment was not made. He stated that Deputy Mayor Yıldız came to the construction site and took a step back at one stage, and that the demands continued systematically.

THEY WANTED IT IN POUNDS

He also said that he hosted Birkan Birol Yıldız and his wife on his boat in Bodrum, where derogatory statements were made towards him.

Stating that he was informed that a fee of 265 million TL was charged during the settlement process and that this amount was legalized by the decision of the parliament, Ökcün stated that he demanded the money back when he could not receive a settlement despite the 70 million TL he paid. He claimed that some of the payments were requested in British pounds, saying “the President loves the pound”, and that hundreds of thousands of liras worth of grocery gift cards and products such as iPhones and iPads were requested and delivered with notepads.

I WAS THREATENED FOR STATEMENT
Making a remarkable statement at the end of his statement, Ökcün stated that he was threatened after the process, that he was pressured to change his statement, and that he was worried about the safety of both himself and his family. The suspect’s lawyers argued that their client submitted all information and documents to clarify the investigation and that the real victim was the contractor.

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli spoke at his party’s GNAT Group Meeting yesterday. Bahçeli said:

YOUTH SHOULD NOT BE Stuck BETWEEN THE TEST AND THE TASTE: The tragic events that took place in Şanlıurfa and subsequently in Kahramanmaraş cannot be glossed over with shallow, superficial and one-dimensional evaluations. Grave developments have opened deep cracks in conscience. It is essential to consider the process together with all its causes, consequences and background developments. Education is directly a matter of national survival. Turkish youth should not be stuck between the test and the toast, forced to fit their dreams into five options, running from exam to exam, accumulating points, and missing out on life while chasing certificates.

THEY LEFT THE COMMUNICATION AREA: Our children, our future are under digital siege. The danger we face is not only screen addiction, but also a climate of digital corruption that multiplies evil, encourages violence, legitimizes crime, exploits pain, and targets the pure conscience of our children. The solution is only the presence of a security guard at the school gate, not cameras. We will be among those who root out the issue, not those who cover it up. There is no peace for us without strengthening the family, restoring schools to their primary role of providing education and character building, and strengthening guidance and psychosocial support mechanisms.

OPPOSITION’S TRANSCRIPT: Muddying the waters with rumors of midterm or early elections, trying to cast a shadow over the will of our nation, confusing the agenda with ballot box calculations are nothing more than petty ambitions paralyzing the mind. The untimely election calls, which have been repeated endlessly in recent days, are the tricks of the short-sighted opposition.

ELECTION IS NOT A TOY: The election is not a toy that can be put forward with political acrobatics and artificial crisis touts. Those who insist on elections are talking about their own worries, not about the people’s problems. It is a futile effort for those who have misplaced and untimely bursts of self-confidence to try to determine Türkiye’s agenda. It is clear when the ballot box will speak, its judgment will be manifested when the time comes. There will be no room for intermediate formulas, detours and arbitrary games. We do not play with Türkiye’s future, we do not open stability to discussion.

TERRORISM-FREE TURKEY’S LIFE SAFETY: The People’s Alliance is the insurance of Türkiye, a leading country that is free from terrorism, has broken through internal and external sieges, and has escaped the economic bottleneck. The terror-free Türkiye process means the safety of our children’s lives, the inviolability of our borders, the solidity of our internal front, the preservation of our national unity, and the complete elimination of the bloody and dark obstacles and ambitions in front of the Republic of Turkey.

Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attended the meeting titled “Protection of Children in Digital Environments: International Policy and Practice Sharing”, organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General on Violence Against Children and UNICEF. Emphasizing that the risks faced by children have reached an alarming level, First Lady Erdoğan said the following in her speech:

ONLINE ABUSE: Children can access information and millions of resources in the digital world with a “click”. But unfortunately, in the same world, all kinds of abuse reach children at the same speed, that is, with a click. Studies show that globally, more than 300 million children are subjected to online abuse and harassment annually. The fact that the frequency of these cases drops to 1 every 10 seconds clearly reveals the extent of this ‘hidden epidemic’ that covers every country, every household and every school.

OBSTACLE DUE TO CENSORSHIP: Unfortunately, as adults, we have been pushed out of this world with the label of digital immigrants placed on us. Not only has our right to draw boundaries to the digital world, where children are declared native, been taken away from us, but unfortunately every step taken within this framework has been blocked with the allegation of censorship. Whenever parents voiced their concerns, they were accused of being behind the times. Today, we are paying the price of this limitlessness with the damages that occur in children’s spiritual, mental, cognitive, social and physical development.

INVITATION TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Up to 8.5 hours of screen time filled with social media and computer games means a digital vegetative state. The ‘Convention on Children’s Rights in the Digital World’ prepared by our Ministry of Family is an important call put forward on an international scale, aiming to protect, support and empower children in digital environments. On this occasion, I invite all stakeholders to sign this agreement. Let’s not forget that making the digital world safer for children is the joint responsibility of not only families but also public institutions, technology companies, international organizations and the media industry. It is a must, especially for technology companies, to be accountable and make child-friendly designs. Fortunately, there is a global awakening regarding age restrictions on social media.

WE NEED SOLID BORDERS

Erdoğan said, “If we are going to pull our children out of the eerie backstreets of the digital world and raise them as strong and conscious young people who will shoulder the future, we must do this by working hand in hand with parents. There are several formulas for this. The first of these is the reconstruction of the borders destroyed by digitalization. Because the basis of many problems that humanity cannot overcome in our age is the equation of limitlessness with freedom. While digitalization increases efficiency in many areas, from business processes to daily life, if the rope goes out of hand, our children’s lives will suddenly become digital.” “It can be invaded by nannies, digital friends, digital playgrounds, so we need solid boundaries,” he said.

FAMILY, OUR ONLY SHELTER

Emine Erdoğan said, “I am sure that every parent knows very well the dynamics of this job and where the boundaries should be drawn. Because parenting is the oldest profession in the world. Today, if a child wants to get up and go out alone in the middle of the night, would we allow him? Would we allow someone he does not know to take him by the hand? Or would we allow him to gamble, be exposed to perverted propaganda, or attempt something that would put his life at risk? Our common answer to all of these will, of course, be ‘No’. In that case, our children are in digital environments.” “Let’s draw safe boundaries for them, without forgetting that they may face the same dangers. Another solution that will make digital environments safe for children is strengthened family communication. So, let’s not give up on communicating face to face, heart to heart, and spending time together as a family. It is a fact that the family is our only shelter against the various storms of life today, as it was yesterday.”