Politics
Suspects confess municipal officials of Istanbul’s Üsküdar took bribes
Two suspects testifying at an investigation into the Üsküdar municipality of Istanbul run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) detailed how they paid off municipal bureaucrats in exchange of permits.
The deputy mayor of the Istanbul district and 20 others were detained earlier this week in a corruption probe against the municipality. Deputy Mayor Filiz Deveci and eight others were remanded in custody, while 10 others were released with judiciary control and another one was released.
A report published by the Sabah newspaper on Sunday disclosed how municipal officials thrived on bribes. The report is based on testimonies of those who bribed the officials. A broader investigation focuses on statements of witnesses and the transactions between suspects, including construction companies that reportedly bribed officials to secure permits for new buildings.
Yılmaz Kozan, a contractor who was among the detained, agreed to collaborate with authorities. Kozan told investigators that he was reluctant to bribe but Alperen Uçar, a municipal official in charge of issuing building licenses, threatened them. “(Municipal officials) told me that they needed $10,000 for legal fees of the municipality and needs of the personal aide of Mayor Sinem Dedetaş. I paid it and they issued me a building permit,” he said. Kozan said he also wired TL 250,000 to the account of a sports subsidiary of the municipality as part of the bribe.
Ceyhan Han, who acted as a middleman between companies and the municipalities, confessed he personally handed over foreign currency worth TL 1 million to Uçar in the latter’s office. He said Uçar did not have the final say in bribes and his superior was Nazım Akkoyunlu, another suspect who served as head of a subsidiary of the Üsküdar municipality. “His approval is needed first. Then, they ask payments piece by piece and ultimately, they transfer the money to Akkoyunlu,” he claimed.
A statement by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office said Akkoyunlu, director of the municipality’s subsidiary Kent A.Ş., was assigned as “deputy mayor” at the municipality, though he was not the official deputy. The statement said the subsidiary acted as a front company for “illegal revenues” collected from contractors seeking building permits from the municipality. Akkoyunlu and other suspects from Kent A.Ş. are also accused of acting like members of the municipal department in charge of issuing building permits, greenlighting or rejecting permits, though they were not authorized.
Prosecutors say the suspects set up a secret database and assigned colors to contractors, determining how much they were supposed to pay. They also held meetings with Deveci to decide on the amount of (bribes) to be asked from contractors in exchange for permits.
More than 20 mayors governing CHP municipalities were detained or arrested in the past two years on charges of corruption, along with dozens of municipal bureaucrats. The CHP won the municipal elections in Üsküdar for the first time in more than two decades in 2024.
By-election debate
The CHP claims the charges against its mayors are politically motivated and has long campaigned for an early election. When this campaign had limited support, it has now turned its focus to a “by-election” to fill the vacant seats in Parliament. The party’s leader, Özgür Özel, launched a tour of opposition politicians for support of the by-election. The CHP believes this may force the government to reschedule the general election as well, though President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has flatly rejected any plans for an election of any kind earlier than the scheduled 2028 vote.
Özel on Sunday visited the far-right Victory Party (ZP) led by Ümit Özdağ, a politician who sought ministerial posts from former CHP chair and 2023 presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in exchange for supporting him. Özdağ expressed his support to the CHP’s by-election campaign, joining a growing chorus of the opposition politicians aligning with the main opposition. However, so far, this does not necessarily translate into a broader opposition alliance in case of any early election or the 2028 elections. Özdağ notoriously withdrew his support for Kılıçdaroğlu when their negotiations collapsed and instead, joined another opposition alliance against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, only to see its candidate withdraw from the race early.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hungary’s incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar discussed the future of bilateral ties and regional and global issues in a phone call, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Tuesday.
The leaders reviewed bilateral ties, with Erdoğan stating that relations between the two countries draw strength from “our shared history and culture,” according to a statement by the directorate.
He expressed confidence that cooperation between Türkiye and Hungary, both bilaterally and on international platforms, will advance further in the coming days.
Erdoğan also emphasized the importance of strengthening their existing strategic partnership.
He said the two countries aim to deepen cooperation and highlighted that their NATO alliance, which both countries are members of, contributes to “regional and global peace.”
During the call, Erdoğan also congratulated Magyar on his success in Sunday’s elections.
After Magyar’s Tisza party took a wide lead over incumbent Viktor Orban in Sunday’s elections, according to election officials, Orban conceded defeat, saying: “We will serve our nation from the opposition.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday held phone calls with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Iraq’s Fouad Hussain.
Sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in the call with Abdelatty, Fidan discussed developments in the U.S.-Iran cease-fire negotiations. The conversation focused on the current state of cease-fire talks and preparations for another round of negotiations in the coming days.
The two ministers exchanged views on the negotiation process and the agenda expected to be addressed in future discussions, as diplomatic efforts continue to secure a lasting cease-fire in the Middle East.
With Hussain, Fidan discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, sources said. Fidan on Monday hailed the “sincerity” of the U.S. and Iran on achieving a cease-fire. However, he warned that Israel may disrupt the process. Fidan also pointed out Israel’s emerging “state strategy” of finding “new enemies” in the region, such as Türkiye. The minister has been at the forefront of Türkiye’s peace diplomacy, contacting relevant parties to achieve a cease-fire in the US-Israel-Iran war.
Türkiye’s top diplomat led a diplomatic blitz by Ankara to mediate the conflict. This week, he will attend a quadrilateral meeting with foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on the margins of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Türkiye.
Syria’s president met with a top commander of the U.S.-backed YPG terrorist group on Tuesday as part of ongoing talks aimed at integrating the group into state institutions, an official announced.
Ahmed al-Hilali, a senior Syrian official and spokesperson for the integration process, said a series of meetings were held in Damascus between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian officials on one side, and YPG leader Ferhat Abdi Şahin, code-named Mazloum Kobani, on the other.
Al-Hilali told Syria TV that the discussions focused on the latest developments in an agreement reached between the government and the YPG, as well as steps to advance the integration process.
He said Şahin is also expected to hold separate meetings with al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to review progress, assess challenges and outline the next phase of implementation.
A further meeting between Şahin and presidential envoy Ziad al-Ayesh is also anticipated, though no details about the agenda were disclosed.
“The outcomes of these meetings are expected to accelerate efforts on the ground, particularly in Hassakeh province, where implementation of the agreement is ongoing,” he said.
Previous talks
The latest round of talks follows earlier meetings in early April between al-Ayesh and Abdi in Hassakeh, where the two sides discussed mechanisms for integrating YPG structures into state institutions.
Those discussions also addressed plans to release detainees and transfer control of YPG-run prisons to the Syrian government. In addition, both sides reviewed measures aimed at improving security conditions, including efforts to curb violations attributed to armed groups operating in the region.
The negotiations are part of a Jan. 29 agreement between Damascus and the YPG that includes provisions for the return of displaced people to their homes, as well as arrangements related to detention facilities and administrative integration.
The post-Baathist administration in Damascus moved against the YPG when the latter reneged on an earlier deal for integration into the Syrian army. On Jan. 16, the Syrian army launched an offensive against YPG-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. After days of the offensive, the YPG consented to sign a new deal with Damascus on integrating both “administrative” and “military” structures of the YPG to post-Assad Syria. The terrorist group agreed that Syrian security forces would be deployed in Hassakeh and Qamishli, two key areas occupied by the YPG.
The deal also stipulated a faster integration of armed members of the YPG into Syrian security forces and the creation of a division consisting of three brigades of the YPG.
The YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, neither complied with Türkiye’s terror-free initiative for the disarmament of the PKK, nor with a March 2025 deal for integration with the Syrian security forces. Türkiye is a major supporter of post-Assad Syria and views the YPG as a threat to its own national security. Ankara has hinted that it may resort to a military option in Syria as it did in the past to thwart the YPG’s ambitions, but has repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the dispute between the YPG and Damascus.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Wednesday that women disproportionately suffer the consequences of wars, migration and poverty, urging stronger female representation in political decision-making to build lasting peace.
Speaking at the Women Parliamentarians Forum held on the sidelines of the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Istanbul, Kurtulmuş said that in nearly every conflict zone around the world, women and children pay the highest price.
“From Gaza to other regions facing instability, the heaviest toll of what has reached the level of crimes against humanity is being borne by women and children,” he said, describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as particularly severe.
Kurtulmuş said the current global landscape goes beyond ordinary crises, pointing instead to a deeper breakdown in the international system. He argued that multilateral mechanisms are losing effectiveness, while international law is increasingly applied selectively and global institutions are facing a decline in credibility.
He added that large-scale migration, poverty and social deprivation around the world also disproportionately affect women, many of whom are displaced or left without adequate protection. According to Kurtulmuş, these conditions are exacerbated by shrinking diplomatic channels and increasing pressure on human dignity.
The Turkish official also pointed to the underrepresentation of women in peace negotiations and political platforms, warning that this gap undermines the sustainability of peace efforts.
“This is not only a matter of representation,” he said. “It is a structural deficiency that delays the socialization of peace and weakens its permanence.”
Kurtulmuş stressed that empowering women should not be seen as a narrow issue of equality but as a broader requirement for democratic quality, inclusive governance and sustainable development. He said women’s participation in legislative, oversight and budgeting processes is essential for building more resilient and balanced societies.
He noted that global challenges such as economic downturns, conflict, income inequality and limited access to education deepen existing disparities for women. Addressing these issues, he said, is critical not only for social justice but also for long-term stability.
Kurtulmuş also highlighted violence against women as one of the most pressing aspects of the issue, calling for comprehensive responses grounded in legal, moral and political responsibility.
“Determination in combating violence against women is one of the clearest indicators of a society’s level of civilization,” he said.
He added that Türkiye considers women’s empowerment, family protection and social cohesion as strategic priorities, outlining ongoing efforts across education, employment and social support systems.
Kurtulmuş concluded by emphasizing that, beyond providing opportunities, governments must ensure fair conditions where women’s knowledge, experience and leadership can fully contribute to public life.
A report published on the BBC’s website on Tuesday claimed that the Greek authorities have turned to other migrants who took shelter in the country to illegally push back irregular migrants into Türkiye.
The Turkish-Greek border has been a hot spot for irregular migration. A large number of assorted groups of migrants, including those from Afghanistan, Syria, African countries, as well as Turkish nationals themselves, were intercepted on the border. As of April 9, official figures of intercepted irregular migrants are nearly 35,000.
“Pushback” is a controversial and illegal practice, but Greece has repeatedly engaged in it, according to reports by human rights organizations monitoring migrant flow into Greece that escalated in the past decade.
Many boatloads of migrants attempt to make the dangerous sea crossing to reach the Greek islands from the Turkish coast, hoping to eventually make their way to prosperous European Union countries.
Others attempt to enter Greece by crossing the Maritsa (Meriç) River that runs along the land border between the two countries.
While many make it to the EU, many others perish at sea or are pushed back by Greece into Turkish waters in violation of international law.
The BBC report says that the Greek police recruited migrants as mercenaries to push other migrants back across its land border with Türkiye. The report, based on witness accounts and other evidence, says migrants were stripped, robbed, beaten and in some cases, sexually assaulted. It also says those “mercenaries” were unofficially employed on the border since at least 2020. Those hired for pushbacks included migrants from Pakistan, Syria and Afghanistan, and in some cases, they were rewarded with cash and possessions looted from other irregular migrants, the report says, in addition to travel documents allowing them to travel across the country.
A recruited migrant who spoke to the BBC claimed that he was tasked with ferrying people back to Türkiye, checking migrant boats for punctures and burning belongings of migrants to destroy evidence of pushback.
Türkiye has intensified nationwide operations in recent years amid rising regional migration pressures.
Earlier this year, the Interior Ministry announced that 478 irregular migrants and 19 migrant smugglers were captured in nationwide inspections.
Police, gendarmerie, coast guard and border patrols joined forces for inspections in 81 provinces under the coordination of the General Directorate of Migration.
Work has begun to establish a Women’s Cooperation Council under the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), aiming to strengthen collaboration on women’s empowerment across member countries, Ankara’s Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said Tuesday.
Göktaş made the remarks during a conference in Baku held on “Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA),” where Azerbaijan currently holds the 2024-2026 OTS chairmanship.
Speaking at a panel titled “Women Entrepreneurs in SMEs, Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Digitalization,” Göktaş said the global economy is undergoing a major transformation driven by digitalization and artificial intelligence, creating new opportunities for women’s participation in business and employment.
She said the proposed council would help foster “a common vision and collective will” among Turkic states, particularly in areas such as women’s entrepreneurship and labor force participation.
“The OTS Women’s Cooperation Council will become a strong regional organization that brings women together across our shared geography for a common future,” she said.
Göktaş also recalled that empowering women was among the key priorities discussed during the OTS social policy minister meeting held in Istanbul in 2024.
The event in Baku, hosted by Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, brought together senior officials and representatives from CICA member states.
Among attendees were Leyla Aliyeva, head of the IDEA Foundation, Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Zulfiya Mahkamova and CICA Secretary-General Kairat Sarybay.
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