HERE IS THE A TEAM TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
In the huge operation launched after months of physical and technical follow-up, the suspects whose homes and offices in the municipality were searched and taken into custody are as follows:

Mustafa Turgut (Mayor of Silifke)

Ezgi Erdağ Demirtaş (Vice President)

Ersin Servi (Private Secretary)

Erdoğan Gürbüz (Retail Manager)

Şeyma Savar Demren (Zoning Director)

Turgut Ongun (Press and Publication Unit Chief / Presidential Driver)

Sait Oğuz (President of Zoning Commission / Sports Club Chairman)

Osman Yılmaz (Accounting Unit)

Fikri Öz, Bayram Ali Balcı (Municipal Personnel)

Emrah Yılmaz, Hasan Devrim Savar, Aydın Anıl Uğur, Bora Tuğay, Esen Tuba Tol, Vehbi Turgut, Mert Devlet Turgut, Nizamettin Ceylan.

It was learned that the suspect Erman Fatih Kirişçi, who collects the municipality’s million-dollar festival tenders and is the key figure in money traffic, is a fugitive and operations are ongoing to capture him. While the seized digital materials and documents were confiscated, it was reported that the investigation will continue and deepen.

Security forces launched a simultaneous operation against street gangs in 4 provinces, including Istanbul. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that he initiated legal proceedings against 32 suspects, including 3 lawyers, during the operations.

Minister Gürlek used the following statements in his statement:

Our fight against street gangs, organized crime organizations and all criminal structures targeting the peace of our nation continues with uncompromising determination.

It acts in full coordination and coordination with our Ministry of Internal Affairs; We never tolerate any structure that threatens the peace of our cities and the future of our youth. This morning, under the coordination of our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office; Simultaneous operations were carried out in Istanbul, Muş, Diyarbakır, Erzurum and Tekirdağ provinces against one of the leading street gangs, and judicial proceedings were initiated against 32 suspects, including 3 lawyers.

On this occasion, I would like to express this clearly: Criminal organizations and gangs are carrying out a dirty disinformation campaign, saying “you are still young anyway, you will not be punished”, while luring our children into their own darkness. Although our efforts to further increase the penalties continue; Our current legal system foresees severe sanctions if children are involved in qualified crimes such as membership in an organization, attempted intentional murder, armed attack and plunder.

Our sweeping operations against these structures that try to entrap our children in criminal organizations, threaten the security of our streets, and provide unfair benefits by intimidating our citizens will continue with determination until their roots are eradicated. I would like to thank our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, who carried out the investigation meticulously, our Istanbul Provincial Police Department, who successfully carried out the operation, and all our public officials who contributed to the process.

According to the breaking news; Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culture Inc. An investigation was launched upon the allegation that Deputy General Manager Erhan Karaal was kidnapped by unidentified persons.

Breaking News: İBB Kültür A.Ş Deputy General Manager Erhan Karaal was kidnapped! Statement from the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office | Video

In the written statement made by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was stated that “Upon receiving information that Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culture Inc. Deputy General Manager Erhan KARAAL was kidnapped by unidentified persons in Maltepe district of our city on June 17, 2026, the necessary instructions were given to the law enforcement to find the victim and capture the suspects, and the investigation continues meticulously.”

ERHAN KARAAL’S PLACE IN THE INDICTMENT

Kültür A.Ş. Financial Affairs Manager Erhan Karaal, who is included in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality indictment as a member of the organization, is held responsible for 12 actions. In the first of these actions, it was explained that the main tender was awarded to Kültür A.Ş. for 3 million 100 thousand liras and this money entered the coffers of IMM. It was determined that after receiving the job, Kültür A.Ş. illegally gave it to another company called Elis Dış Ticaret for 4 million 200 thousand liras. Erhan Karaal is among the names that caused the 1 million 100 thousand public losses that entered the IMM’s coffers.

HE TOOK A PARTY IN PUBLIC DAMAGES OF 1 BILLION 571 MILLION

490 million 996 thousand liras, 308 million 95 thousand liras, 296 million 404 thousand liras, 252 million 534 thousand liras, 86 million 159 thousand liras, 53 million 572 thousand liras, 27 million, 18 million 784 thousand liras and 36 million liras due to the irregular tender made in the actions in which Karaal took part. It is stated that 606 thousand liras of public damage occurred. The total public loss from the actions in which Karaal took part is 1 billion 571 million 250 thousand liras.

AK Party Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Yayman noted the following in his post on his NSosyal account:

“The European Parliament’s 2025 Turkey Report contains evaluations regarding our country that are far from the principle of impartiality and are shaped by political motivation. We do not accept and reject the ‘so-called’ report, which does not reflect the realities of Türkiye and was prepared with a one-sided perspective. You are null and void for us with your double-standard attitude and hypocritical policies. Ignoring Türkiye’s security policies, its fight against terrorism and its responsibilities towards regional peace and stability shows that the approach in question does not qualify as an objective and constructive evaluation.” shows.”

“IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FIND RESPONSE BY OUR NATION”

Emphasizing that the unfounded allegations made about Türkiye’s democratic institutions and legal system do not reflect the truth, Yayman stated that the Turkish judiciary, which continues its activities within the framework of the Constitution, fulfills its duty independently and impartially.

Reminding that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye has made significant progress in many fields, especially the defense industry, diplomacy, energy and transportation, and has become an effective actor in its region and on a global scale, Yayman said, “It is not possible for our nation to find a response for evaluations that ignore Türkiye’s rising power and the strategic vision it has put forward.” he said.

Hüseyin Yayman underlined that Türkiye will resolutely defend its national interests and continue on its way with its strong and independent stance.

Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Science Dissemination Foundation, who came to Ağrı to participate in various programs, spoke at the “Non-Governmental Organizations Meeting” organized by the Science Dissemination Foundation at İbrahim Çeçen University Selçuklu Conference Hall.

Stating that Türkiye’s educational infrastructure has strengthened significantly in the last 23 years, Erdoğan said that the successes achieved in international evaluation programs are the most concrete indicator of this.

Erdoğan stated that when the countries that are successful in education in the world are examined, Türkiye does not have any deficiencies in terms of physical infrastructure and said, “The investments made in education in the last 23 years have yielded their fruits. Turkey has shown an increase in international evaluations such as TIMSS and PISA every period. Today, we have become a country that is in the top 5 in some fields, in the top 7 and in the top 10 in some areas.” he said.

Stating that the number of classrooms, which was approximately 300 thousand 23 years ago, has reached 750 thousand today, Erdoğan stated that the number of teachers has more than doubled, the number of students in the classrooms has decreased and there is smart board and internet access in every classroom.

“EDUCATION IS NOT LIMITED TO THE BORDERS OF THE SCHOOL”

Emphasizing that education is not a process that only takes place in the school environment, Erdoğan said that the family, non-governmental organizations and all segments of society have important duties in raising a child.

Explaining that, as the Knowledge Dissemination Foundation, they have been carrying out studies to support education administrators and teachers since 2011, Erdoğan stated that sports activities, cultural events and quiz competitions are complementary to the development of children.
Stating that parent-teacher associations should support educational processes instead of conflicting with school administration and teachers, Erdoğan noted that it is of great importance for motivation for teachers, whose number has reached 1 million 100 thousand, to feel that their work is valued.

“VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SHOULD BE STRONGER”

Pointing out that the business world is experiencing various problems regarding the practical experience of university graduates, Erdogan said that some employers had to retrain new graduates.

Stating that universities should adapt to this change, Erdoğan stated that vocational education gaining more emphasis in the high school period will have important results in terms of production.

Stating that universities are experiencing a significant transformation in the field of research and development, Erdoğan said that TÜBİTAK supports, industrial collaborations and technoparks are important elements of this process.

CONTRIBUTION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO Türkiye

Stating that more than 350 thousand international students are studying in Türkiye, Erdoğan stated that these students make significant contributions to both the economy and Türkiye’s international relations.

Stating that international students spend an average of 5 thousand dollars annually, Erdoğan said that this contributes approximately 4 billion dollars to the Turkish economy.

Emphasizing that Türkiye has the potential to attract many more international students with its current university capacity, Erdoğan stated that students who complete their education and return to their countries have become volunteer ambassadors of Türkiye.

“Türkiye HAS TO BE STRONG”

Stating that the resources Türkiye has allocated to research and development have increased significantly in the last 23 years, Erdoğan said that the technological achievements achieved in the defense industry have begun to be seen in different areas.

Stating that the Turkish economy has reached a size of 1.6 trillion dollars today and is the 11th largest economy in the world according to purchasing power parity, Erdoğan stated that the national income per capita has increased to the level of 20 thousand dollars.

Emphasizing that Türkiye is one of the most important countries in the world not only with its economic power but also with its geopolitical location, Erdoğan drew attention to the importance of being a strong country and acting in unity.

Stating that they wish to develop cooperation with neighboring countries on the basis of good relations, mutual trust and trade, Erdoğan said that Türkiye will continue to support stability and good neighborly relations in its region.

“CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE REJUVENATED”

Stating that the rejuvenation of non-governmental organizations is one of the most important agendas, Erdoğan stated that young people should also be included in the management of organizations that carry out activities for young people.

Stating that young people’s presence in decision-making mechanisms along with experienced names will make the work more effective, Erdoğan invited young people to participate in volunteering activities and get to know non-governmental organizations more closely.

Stating that foundations and associations operating for young people should make their work more visible, Erdoğan added that many young people think that these organizations are closed to them, but a significant part of them operate openly to all segments of society.

According to the statement made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Çiftçi met with some AK Party deputies at the Gölbaşı Provincial House under the coordination of AK Party Group Deputy Chairman and Çankırı Deputy Muhammet Emin Akbaşoğlu.

Speaking here, Çiftçi gave information about the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Çiftçi stated that the new generation organized crime organizations that have emerged recently give themselves nicknames inspired by cartoon characters and operate under them.

Stating that the criminal organizations in question use the internet intensively and place their advertisements on this medium, Çiftçi said, “They also use digital platforms for their criminal income and recruit employees through social media. Organizational ties outside the top management are quite weak. They can hire personnel for an activity. They do not have a center as it is known. They do not feel bound to any rules such as ethics, principles, ‘racon’, morality. Their average age is quite low, and they have goals such as getting rich quickly.” he said.

Referring to the structural characteristics of these criminal organizations, Çiftçi said, “They choose people to carry out their actions from among people with weak family ties, a criminal past, and generally low education. Their dressing and lifestyles have changed. They are seeking advertising and ostentation. Their action styles have changed. They find disposable men and carry out protests with their help. They have a practice of using foreign GSM lines. They quickly make enemies. Sometimes they may conflict with each other.” he said.

Minister Çiftçi underlined that follow-up efforts to identify the sources of income and finance obtained from crime in order to end the existence of criminal organizations continue at full speed.

Stating that 836 operations were carried out against 337 organized crime groups last year, Çiftçi continued as follows:

“The numbers appear this way because sometimes more than one operation is carried out in a criminal organization gang. Between January 1 and May 31, we carried out 952 operations against 382 organized crime gangs.”

Farmer, who also shared data on the fight against smuggling, pointed out that 3 billion 32 million liras of tax loss was prevented as a result of the operations carried out this year.

FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

Çiftçi stated that operations have increased this year within the scope of the fight against drugs and said, “As a result of 22 thousand 25 operations, we see that 19 thousand 904 detainees and 9 thousand 540 people were released with judicial control records. Currently, there are approximately 300 thousand convicts in prison. Almost 1 in 3 of them consists of those who were convicted for drugs and drug crimes.” he said.

Stating that 17.3 tons of drugs, 63 million drug pills and 14.7 million cannabis root and skunk were seized in the 5-month period of last year, Çiftçi said that 20.2 tons of drugs and 69 million pills were seized this year.

Çiftçi pointed out that the fight against drugs is multi-dimensional and said:

“To prevent this, all units of our ministries continue to work determinedly. This is not a struggle that can be achieved only by the struggle of law enforcement forces. There are duties that fall on families, there are duties that fall on non-governmental organizations, there are tasks that other institutions of the state need to do. We evaluate that this can be achieved as a result of an all-out struggle. As a result of the training, awareness-raising and awareness activities carried out by our law enforcement forces on this issue, 3 million people have been reached this year, and a total of 37 million citizens have been reached so far in all education and prevention projects.”