Politics
Co-defendants blame CHP mayor in Turkish corruption trial
Taner Çukadar, one of 200 defendants in a massive corruption trial of a businessman and a mayor from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said that the other defendants and lawyers sought to “protect the mayor.”
Çukadar was testifying Monday at the hearing of the trial in Istanbul that began last month. His statements were similar to those of two other defendants who claimed Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district Mayor Rıza Akpolat sought to distance himself from the accusations. They also disputed the statements by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, the tycoon at the heart of the probe.
Aktaş and Akpolat were arrested in 2024, along with top municipal bureaucrats in this upscale district of Istanbul. Aktaş was accused of bribing the mayor and bureaucrats to win favors at tenders.
Both men appeared before the court when the trial started last month, Aktaş as a freed detainee thanks to his earlier collaboration with authorities.
Aktaş has rejected corruption claims and claimed the municipal officials forced him to “receive payments for the work he’s done in other forms, sale of a car, or covering the expenses of a wedding banquet.”
He said he was a distant relative of Akpolat and worked as a chauffeur for him in the past. He said the mayor’s lawyers threatened him to expose “gang relations of my 15-year-old son” to testify in favor of Akpolat.
“Akpolat tried to put my son at risk to save himself,” Çukadar told Monday’s hearing. He added that Akpolat accused his colleagues of defaming him, but it was he who defamed other defendants.
He also claimed Akpolat’s defense team sought to divert the blame in the corruption case to former deputy mayor of Beşiktaş, Alican Abacı.
Asked about his suspicious financial transactions with other defendants, Çukadar said Akpolat used his credit card for hotel and flight expenses and paid him back in cash.
In another case, he said the mayor forced him and Abacı to sell several vehicles that the municipality owned.
“When we placed an ad for them, he told us the price we offered was too low. Later, he told us that (Aktaş) would buy the vehicles. “He set a price of TL 15 million for two vehicles and I arranged the formal sale of these vehicles,” he said.
His statements corroborated with Aktaş’s earlier claims that he was “paid in vehicles” in return of debts of municipalities.
At Monday’s hearing, defendant Harun Tuzcu told the court he worked as a driver for the Beşiktaş Municipality but mostly carried out services for Akpolat’s family rather than working inside the municipality.
Tuzcu alleged that when he was first detained, lawyers of Akpolat intimidated him to keep silent. He later said his subsequent statements were given of his own free will and without pressure.
Over four weeks of proceedings, the court completed the defenses of 162 detained and non-detained defendants. An interim ruling is expected at this week’s hearing.
According to the indictment, the alleged criminal organization led by Aktaş bribed mayors, including Akpolat, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, who has since been released, and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who was released and reinstated, to organize tender processes.
Türkiye condemned Thursday a drone attack by Houthis on a power station in the Muslim holy city of Medina, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and unconditionally,” it said.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Earlier Thursday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The organization affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.”
The Saudi-led coalition said the Medina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
Houthis denied the accusation.
The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a U.N.-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.
Turkish authorities detained Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen and 27 other suspects earlier Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the Istanbul district municipality, prosecutors said.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said detention orders were issued for 28 suspects over allegations including membership in a criminal organization, receiving and giving bribes and bid rigging.
All 28 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also conducted searches and seizures at addresses linked to the suspects and searched the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Eyüpsultan Municipality building.
Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Investigation Branch.
“The investigation continues in a comprehensive and meticulous manner,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Özmen, who serves as mayor of Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, was among those taken into custody.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation, and no court has ruled on the allegations against the suspects.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said on Friday that security in the Caucasus could not be considered separately from the security of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as the three countries’ defense chiefs met in Azerbaijan to discuss regional security and military cooperation.
Güler made the remarks at the 13th Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia Trilateral Defense Ministers Meeting in Shusha, attended by Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani.
The ministers discussed military and defense cooperation as well as regional security developments before signing a protocol at the end of the meeting.
“The security of the Caucasus cannot be considered separately from the security of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia,” Güler stressed.
He said Türkiye remained committed to supporting the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Georgia and was ready to deepen cooperation among the three countries in support of peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Caucasus.
Güler said the South Caucasus was undergoing a significant period of transformation and welcomed recent developments toward establishing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Türkiye believed the emerging regional environment could create new opportunities for cooperation through joint efforts by South Caucasus countries, adding that trilateral cooperation among Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia had particular importance in that process, the minister noted.
Güler also pointed to energy, transportation and communications projects linking the three countries, saying they contributed not only to economic development but also to regional security and stability.
“Ensuring the security of these projects is the common responsibility of our countries,” he said.
Joint military exercises as well as training and experience-sharing activities among the three countries’ armed forces reflected that responsibility, Güler added.
Most recently, more than 3,500 military personnel from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have taken part in the joint exercises, which began Sept. 21. In addition, 130 unmanned aerial vehicles, 70 armored vehicles, 90 artillery systems and 20 aircraft are participating in the exercise, along with more than 30 electronic warfare, reconnaissance and surveillance systems.
Furthermore, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, speaking after the meeting, described the trilateral format as an important platform for regional stability, security and development.
He said the ministers discussed prospects for expanding bilateral and trilateral cooperation, the effectiveness of existing activities and military and political developments in the region.
Hasanov stated that coordination and cooperation among the three countries had become increasingly important amid growing global political tensions, emerging challenges and economic uncertainty.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan signed several defense contracts surpassing $500 million in value, a senior official announced on Wednesday.
The deals include the supply of 14 Hürkuş-II trainer aircraft and various defense systems, said Haluk Görgün, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
In a statement, Görgün said the two countries, which support each other during natural disasters, wars and other times of need, were strengthening defense industry cooperation to promote regional peace and stability.
He remarked that their trust and solidarity continued to translate into concrete projects under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Ahead of the trilateral talks, Güler also held bilateral meetings with Hasanov and Chikovani in Shusha. The officials discussed ways to bolster military, military-technical and military education cooperation, as well as regional security and efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will pick its next chair in 2027. It is still unclear whether incumbent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu will run again, but the names of at least seven people are circulating, with one politician announcing his intention to challenge Kılıçdaroğlu.
The large number shows that the party, Türkiye’s oldest, will have its fair share of feuds even after the bitter departure of former Chair Özgür Özel and fellow lawmakers, ending CHP’s status as “main opposition.”
Following the launch of the CHP’s congress calendar on Sept. 10, attention has turned to the party’s grand congress, which is planned for spring 2027. District and provincial congresses are expected to be completed by Feb. 14, 2027, after which the party’s assembly is expected to finalize the date of the grand congress.
The names of Aytuğ Atıcı, Muharrem Ince (a former presidential candidate), Engin Altay, Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, Ali Öztunç and Vahap Seçer are reportedly being discussed as potential candidates for party chair. Seçer, mayor of Mersin, was detained on Wednesday on charges of corruption. CHP Elazığ lawmaker Gürsel Erol had also publicly listed the same names. Ümit Uysal, the party’s mayor for Muratpaşa district in the southern province of Antalya, is also circulating as a potential candidate. Kılıçdaroğlu has not completely ruled out a candidacy when asked whether he would run.
The figure to take a concrete step toward a candidacy was Aytuğ Atıcı. Atıcı, a former CHP lawmaker from Mersin, announced his candidacy for party chair on Sept. 15. Before announcing his decision, Atıcı met with Kılıçdaroğlu and informed him that he would run at the congress.
Muharrem Ince is also among the names most frequently discussed in speculation over the party leadership.
A Sept. 24 exclusive report by the Takvim news website said Ince was sounding out support for a leadership bid but was considering running only if Kılıçdaroğlu did not enter the race and broad consensus emerged within the party. The same report said there was speculation that Ince preferred a formula that could be supported by different factions within the party rather than a race involving multiple candidates.
Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu voiced concern over Israel’s growing presence in the Greek Cypriot-administered south, saying expanding military ties could undermine security on the divided island.
Ertuğruloğlu made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish journalists in Washington, D.C., as part of his U.S. visit following the U.N. General Assembly meetings.
Responding to a question about the impact of the Greek Cypriot administration’s growing military ties with Israel and other countries on security on the island, Ertuğruloğlu said Turkish Cypriot authorities were concerned about Israel’s increasing involvement.
“We are, of course, not pleased with Israel becoming so influential in southern Cyprus,” he stated, “This is a relationship that puts the island’s security at risk.”
He also criticized the Greek Cypriot administration’s military cooperation with France, U.S. arms sales and military training, as well as British policies involving its bases on the island.
Ertuğruloğlu said such developments risked disrupting stability but argued that Türkiye had taken necessary measures to preserve the military balance.
He emphasized that Turkish Cypriots remained confident about their security despite regional tensions, citing the presence of Turkish forces on the island and Türkiye’s role as a guarantor.
Two-state position unchanged
Ertuğruloğlu further noted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would maintain its current foreign policy position on the future of the Cyprus issue, reiterating its call for two sovereign, equal states with equal international status.
“The point we have reached in foreign policy is final: two sovereign, equal states with equal international status,” he said. “There is no option of establishing a new partnership with the Greek Cypriots. That is over.”
He underlined that Turkish Cypriots had previously attempted to establish a partnership with Greek Cypriots, referring to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 and the intercommunal violence that began in 1963.
Ertuğruloğlu argued that the Greek Cypriot side’s approach to the Cyprus dispute had not changed and said the international community’s policies encouraged it.
He also pointed to military cooperation between the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel, as well as the expected participation of U.S., British and French military personnel in anniversary ceremonies in southern Cyprus.
Ertuğruloğlu said future relations on the island could instead be based on good, neighborly ties between the two states.
“There can now be neighborly relations on the island,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, who resigned from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in June, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday.
“We informed the president about important issues on Izmir’s agenda and our projects for the city’s future,” Tugay noted in a written statement, thanking Erdoğan for the meeting and his interest in Izmir.
The meeting comes amid speculation over Tugay’s political future following his departure from the CHP.
Tugay resigned from the party on June 18 amid turmoil following a court ruling concerning the CHP leadership and said he would continue serving as Izmir mayor as an independent.
His departure left Türkiye’s third-largest city with a mayor who was not a CHP member for the first time in more than two decades.
Since his resignation, Turkish media reports have speculated that Tugay could join the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
AK Party Izmir lawmaker Mehmet Kasapoğlu, responding to the speculation, said the party would neither attempt to force political developments nor “close the door” on trends emerging naturally in politics.
Erdoğan’s meeting with Tugay follows a Sept. 9 meeting with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who later announced his resignation from the CHP and said he would continue his political career as an independent.
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