Breaking news: The Cabinet Meeting held at the Presidential Complex under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ended. Erdoğan made statements after the critical meeting where important issues were discussed.

Highlights from President Erdoğan’s speech:

“OUR JUDICIAL, SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE UNITS STARTED THEIR WORK”

I wish God’s mercy to our teacher Ayla and our students who were martyred. As a nation, we all sincerely share the sadness of our families. I wish God Almighty patience to all our families in the face of this extremely difficult test.

There is no life threat to our injured people in the attack in Siverek.

My condolences to Kahramanmaraş.

The attacks affected not only Kahramanmaraş and Siverek but all 86 million people. It plunged us all into grief and sorrow. The fire that fell on Kahramanmaraş fell to the heart of 80 other provinces. We immediately sent our 4 ministers to Kahramanmaraş. While emergency interventions were being made to our wounded, our judiciary, police and intelligence units started their work. By following the digital footprints of both attackers, it was quickly revealed what they were influenced by.

While 8 people were arrested regarding the attack in Siverek, the father of the attacker in Maraş, who owned the weapons he used in his actions, was arrested. We have also taken the necessary measures against accounts that spread false and harmful content on social media and digital communication platforms.

“THE PERPETRATORS WANT TO TERRORISE THE SOCIETY”

We are faced with a situation that is unfamiliar to us as a nation. The perpetrators want to terrorize society.

In what conscience would it be possible to engage in intention reading before our children’s funerals have even taken place? The first thing that comes to the mind of some actors of the main opposition is to make irresponsible statements. Provoking the nation over such pain is irresponsible, to say the least.

“SOCIAL MEDIA HAS TURNED INTO A SEWER”

I once again request my citizens not to compromise on coolness. Do not fall into the tension trap…

Social media has become a sewer. Young people are under the bad influence of digitalization

‘Crisis management and classroom intervention’ training will be given to teachers and school administrators.

29 suspects were caught and detained in the second wave operation organized within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which included “Bribery, Corruption, Extortion, Tender Rigging” crimes.

SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION IN 3 PROVINCES; 29 DETENTION

29 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations held in Istanbul, Uşak and Izmir. Among those detained, Uşakspor President Özhan Özgöbek and CHP Uşak Provincial Chairman Celalettin Çoban, Fahreddin Altundal, Geylani Altundal, Ferhat Cucu, Umut Demir, Tolga Ergül, Sefa Taşcı, Kadir Cantürk, İsmet Yıldız, Rahmi Altundal, Cumali Altundal, Mustafa Arslan, Mehmet Arslan, Rasim Köse, Gürcan Demir, Ahmet Arslan, Ali Arı, Ahmet Yıldız, Akın Cantürk, Ulaş Küçükakın, Kemalettin Doğan, Adem Tuğrul Kaya, Cemal Ak, Ali Rıza Demir, Ceren Yeşildağ, Vedat Bayram, Mehmet Bayram, Göksu Bayram.

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office made a statement regarding the second operation against Uşak Municipality. In the statement, “Bribery”, “Extortion” regarding the allegations of rigging the tenders held by the municipality, demanding bribes from tradesmen for some irregular works and transactions, collecting large amounts of money under the name of aid/donation to Uşak Sports, bringing money in cash to the mayor’s office under the name of donations, senior managers in the municipality spending money by going to entertainment venues at night and paying these expenses from the municipal budget through the food bill under the name of representation/hosting expenses. and “Tender Rigging” crimes; In line with the investigations, witness statements, sincere confessions of the suspects who testified within the scope of effective regret, digital examination reports, and the contents of the report prepared by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, a simultaneous operation was carried out in the provinces of Uşak, Izmir and Istanbul, where the suspects were located, on 20/04/2026, and a total of 27 suspects were caught and detained within the scope of the operation.
“The investigation continues in a multifaceted and meticulous manner, and it is respectfully announced to the public.”

13 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED IN THE FIRST OPERATION

A simultaneous operation was carried out in Uşak, Kocaeli and Ankara on March 27, within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against the Uşak Municipality for the crimes of “bribery”, “extortion” and “tender rigging”. In the first operation, 13 suspects, including Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım and his deputy Halil Arslan, the municipality’s Accounting and Finance Manager Hüseyin Yaman, Private Secretary Hasan Doğukan Kurnaz, office driver Murat Altınkaya and municipal staff Cihan Aras and SA, with whom Özkan Yalım was in a romantic relationship, were detained and arrested. Özkan Yalım was suspended from duty

Following the magnitude 6 earthquakes that occurred in Balıkesir 6 months ago, the work initiated to heal the wounds in the region continues at full speed. The earthquake houses rising in the region resemble a holiday village. The houses with lake views are expected to be delivered to their beneficiaries in the coming months. Following the 6.1 and 6.0 magnitude earthquakes that occurred in Sındırgı district on 10 August and 27 October, a mobilization was launched in the region. Temporary earthquake containers, which were quickly shipped to the earthquake zone, began to be replaced by modern houses. In addition to the earthquake residences under construction in the district center, the houses built by TOKİ in the Gölcük region are as good as a 5-star holiday village. The final stage has been reached in the earthquake residences built on a solid ground and on a hill overlooking the lake view.

GOVERNOR USTAOĞLU MADE AN INSPECTION
Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu went to the region and inspected it. Receiving information about the latest status of the construction, Ustaoğlu said, “We are in the construction site of Village Houses, which are under construction in Gölcük Neighborhood by the Mass Housing Administration (TOKİ) for the citizens affected by the earthquakes in the district. When our work here is completed, our earthquake-affected citizens will have modern and safe houses.” It was learned that the residences will be completed and delivered in the coming months.

The Zero Waste Project, carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, continues on its way as a global environmental movement accepted by the UN. Within the scope of the ever-growing project with the understanding of “The World is Our Common Home”, Türkiye; It proves to the whole world that the goals of using resources efficiently, preventing waste generation and expanding recycling can be successfully realized.

LAST AWARD FROM CARDIFF
Within the scope of the globally respected Green World Awards, which has been held for more than 30 years to determine the greenest countries, companies and communities in the world, the Zero Waste Project has achieved another success among hundreds of applications from around the world. Zero Waste was awarded the ‘Green World Championship’ award in the waste management category. Ekrem Yıldırım, Head of Zero Waste Practices Department, representing the General Directorate of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, received the award and certificate of achievement at the ceremony held at Cardiff Castle in Wales. Zero Waste Project; It was awarded by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2018, the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) in 2021, the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and the World Bank in 2022, and the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly for the second time in 2024. With this award given by the Green Organization, the number of international awards for the Zero Waste Project increased to 7.

WHAT HAS ZERO WASTE PROVIDED?
Thanks to the work carried out within the scope of the Zero Waste Project, the recovery rate, which was 13 percent in 2017, was increased to 37.53 percent by 2025. A total of 90 million tons of recyclable waste was processed, bringing 365 billion liras into the economy. Energy savings equivalent to the 1-year electricity needs of 54 million households (270 billion kilowatt-hours), water savings equivalent to the 2-year water consumption of Istanbul (2 trillion liters), and oil savings equivalent to more than the 1-year fuel consumption of all vehicles in Türkiye (60 billion liters) were achieved.

Eskişehir public is shaken by the allegations of “forgery of official documents” and “irregular raise” carried out by the Metropolitan Municipality and its subsidiary ESKİ (Eskişehir Water and Sewerage Administration). The criminal complaint made by AK Party Eskişehir Provincial Chairman Gürhan Albayrak on April 10, 2026 was brought to the judiciary.

ASSEMBLY DECISION IS ONE, IMPLEMENTATION IS ANOTHER

The basis of the allegations is the irregularities in the 2026 “Services and Guarantees” tariff. As a result of the technical investigations carried out by the AK Party group, it was revealed that the official figures approved by the Municipal Council and its commission were changed through the Electronic Document Management System (EBYS).

It is claimed that there was a secret increase of 48.5% in the bills reflected to the citizens without the decision of the Parliament. Some of the exorbitant differences between the practice in the field and official decisions, which are described as “chasms”, are as follows:
Discovery Fee: Instead of the agreed 305 TL, it was reflected to the public as 450 TL.
Meter Removal-Replacement: Although it should have been 6,640 TL, 9,865 TL was collected from the citizen.
Water Opening Fee: 332 TL was billed instead of the official tariff of 225 TL.

INVESTIGATION PERMISSION IS WAITED

The criminal complaint petition also included technical details about falsification of the commission reports. The decrease in the number of initials in the reports and the disruption of the signature order were presented as evidence that the documents were changed unlawfully.
Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office took action upon the seriousness of the allegations;
Ayşe Ünlüce (Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor)
Oğuzhan Özen (FORMER General Manager)
and requested permission for an investigation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in order to conduct an investigation against other officials to be identified.

AFTER THE SCANDAL, THE SCAPEGOAT WAS DETERMINED

Allegations of irregularities that shook the public in Eskişehir claimed their first victim in the municipal administration. Revealed by the meticulous monitoring of the AK Party Eskişehir Provincial Directorate; After the digital change of the parliamentary decisions and the secret raise scandal reflected to the citizens, Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office requested permission to investigate Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce and OLD General Manager Oğuzhan Özen on suspicion of “Forgery of Official Documents” and “Abuse of Office”.

The hottest development in the municipal administration, which was overshadowed by the judicial process, was the resignation of FORMER General Manager Oğuzhan Özen. In the public opinion, Özen’s departure was interpreted as “an attempt to prevent the political bill from reaching Ayşe Ünlüce, rather than taking responsibility.” After this administrative crisis, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce called the OLD General Assembly to a meeting with an urgent and extraordinary agenda. How the CHP management, which is carrying out damage assessment work with an expert panel, will try to get out of this corporate crisis and illegal tariff scandal that has deepened with the departure of the general manager, remains a big question mark in the Eskişehir public. However, the fact that the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office directly requested permission to investigate Ünlüce proved that the crisis was too deep to be closed with a resignation.

“WE PROVED IT WITH TECHNICAL INSPECTIONS”

In his statement, AK Party Provincial Chairman Gürhan Albayrak stated that they will follow up on this irregularity that shook the public administration and said, “It is unacceptable to victimize the citizens by going beyond the figures approved under the umbrella of the Parliament. Our technical investigations have clearly revealed this irregularity.”

While there is no official statement on the issue yet from the municipal administration, the decision to be made by the Ministry may usher in a new era in Eskişehir politics.

Last week in Mersin, 12 people, including the deputy mayor Ümit Civan, were arrested in the operation carried out against the CHP’s Yenişehir Municipality on charges of bribery and tender rigging. A seizure decision was made for 29 immovable properties and 13 vehicles obtained from crime. SABAH has obtained documents about the bribes given during recruitment.

GIVEN IT IN A BAG
In the investigation file carried out by the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was detailed in the file how Serhat Özmen, who worked in the municipality’s building control unit, got Mehmet Çalışır to work in the municipality in return for a bribe of 250 thousand TL and how he received the money. It was revealed that Çalışır handed over 250 thousand liras in a bag and started working at the municipality on August 25, 2025. Çalışır and Serhat Özmez, who sold their cars and paid bribes to get a job at the municipality, were also among those arrested. Photographs of the moments when the bribe was delivered and conversations between the two are also included in the file. Here is that dialogue:
ÇALIŞIR: Serhat, is there any way to get me admitted to the municipality? I was going to ask, “I am ready to give whatever is necessary.”
ÖZMEZ: 40 thousand TL a month, two days leave a week.
WORKS: Okay.
ÖZMEZ: They want 250 thousand TL, they will start it immediately.