Within the scope of the ‘Bribery’ investigation against Uşak Municipality carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office; An investigation was initiated against the Uşak Municipality regarding the allegations of rigging tenders, demanding bribes from tradesmen for certain irregular works and transactions, collecting large amounts of money under the name of aid and donations to Uşakspor, bringing cash to the mayor’s office under the name of donations, senior managers in the municipality spending money in entertainment venues and paying these expenses from the municipal budget through food bills under the name of entertainment expenses.

29 SUSPECTS WERE REFERRED TO THE COURTHOUSE

29 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations held in Istanbul, Uşak and Izmir. 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 were sent to the courthouse in the morning after their procedures at the Istanbul Police Department and a health check.

9 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED

Within the scope of the investigation, 9 people, including the mayor Özkan Yalım, who was previously suspended from his duty, were arrested.

The ‘Aziz İhsan Aktaş Criminal Organization’ case was heard by the Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court in the courtroom opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution. Some detained defendants, including Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara and Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, who were suspended from duty after their arrest, attended the hearing. Some undetained defendants, including Aziz İhsan Aktaş, were also present at the hearing.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE FOR 3 DEFENDANTS IN THE INTERVIEW

The prosecutor, who requested the release of the detained defendants Ferit Tutşi, Support Services Manager at Beşiktaş Municipality, Çağdaş Ateşci, Cleaning Affairs Manager at Beşiktaş Municipality, and Gülşah Ocak, Beşiktaş Municipality staff member, considering the nature and nature of the crime charged against them and the time they spent in detention, and the strong suspicion of crime of 14 defendants, including Rıza Akpolat, Kadir Aydar, Utku Caner Çaykara and Oya Tekin, with the current state of evidence. He requested that their detention be continued due to the nature and nature of the crimes charged against them.

Following the attacks in schools in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa, 314 non-governmental organizations from 81 provinces across Türkiye published a joint statement. In the text signed by national and local NGOs, the attacks were harshly condemned, while condolences were expressed to the students who lost their lives and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. In the statement, attention was also drawn to the recent discussions regarding the Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin. NGOs stated that some circles developed discourses targeting Minister Tekin after the events and argued that this was an “ideological orientation”.

VALUES ARE TARGETED

NGO representatives claimed in their statements that the emphasis on values ​​in education was targeted. In the text, which draws attention to the importance of strengthening concepts such as justice, compassion and solidarity in schools within the scope of the Türkiye Century Education Model, it is stated that this approach is tried to be weakened. The statement also made the following evaluations regarding the source of the violent incidents:

1-Associating a murderer with Islam means attributing the murder to religion. This is against both reason, science and conscience. The attackers’ mental world is not about the Ramadan table; It has been shaped by the ideology of violence nurtured in the dark corners of social media.

2-The majority of Anatolian people are Muslims. Keeping Ramadan alive in the schools of this nation’s children; It is not an obligation, it is a registration of the free choice of this nation. It is the greatest demand of our people to deliver mercy, compassion and solidarity to the hearts of needy people in the heart of Maarif. As a matter of fact, it happened.

3-Dear Minister Yusuf Tekin is a faithful statesman who protects the values ​​of this nation and tries to rebuild the national identity and spiritual heritage in education. The attack carried out through him was not only against the minister; It is an attack on the nation of 85 million people it represents. 4-Violence is not caused by religion; It feeds on atheism, lack of spirituality, family disintegration, and the vulnerability of generations who cannot be raised without screens. The solution is not to remove spiritual values ​​and Ramadan activities in schools; Our aim is to strengthen the moral ground, strengthen family ties and save our youth from the clutches of digital games and social media violence culture.

5-Those who commit this opportunistic political abuse; We invite those who choose to sharpen their pencils on a day when they should be mourning to be held accountable before their conscience, our nation and history.

RESPONSIBILITY MUST BE CORRECTLY DEFINED

The text emphasized that individual crimes should not be generalized based on social values ​​and stated, “Attributing the crime committed by a person to a belief or social group is dangerous both scientifically and socially.” NGOs stated that discussions on education policies should be handled with common sense and called for social sensitivities not to be exploited.

REQUESTS ARE ALSO LISTED

The joint statement also included calls to authorized institutions:

-Strengthening school security both physically and psychologically

-Taking more effective measures against violent digital platforms

-Dissemination of social policies that support family structure

-Increasing controls to protect children from harmful content

The hearing held by the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court in the hall opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution was attended by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was suspended from his duties after their arrest, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, former CHP Deputy Aykut Erdoğdu, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Advisor and MEDYA AŞ Chairman of the Board of Directors Murat. Some detained defendants, including Ongun, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, İmamoğlu’s brother-in-law Cevat Kaya and İmamoğlu’s lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, attended.

Some CHP deputies and relatives of the detained defendants were present as spectators at the hearing, where some undetained defendants and lawyers also attended.

The hearing continues with the defense of the lawyer of the detained defendant, IMM Boğaziçi Zoning Director Elçin Karaoğlu.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

In the indictment prepared by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Civil Inspection Board Presidency is listed as the “informer”, the Ministries of Treasury and Finance, Internal Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Forestry, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Şişli Municipality are listed as the “damaged by the crime”.

In addition, the indictment includes a total of 407 people as “defendants”, including 16 “complainants”, 89 detainees, 7 fugitives, and 5 “complainants”.

In the indictment, which describes the activities of the criminal organization from its establishment in 2014 until today, it is evaluated that “the public damage caused by the benefit obtained from the 143 acts subject to the indictment is approximately 160 billion lira and 24 million dollars in total as of the crime dates (excluding the current value) and 95 immovable properties in Istanbul and throughout the country in real estate (excluding the assets obtained by the ringleaders and managers of the organization from the proceeds of crime).”

In the organizational chart in the indictment, it is stated that the detained defendant Ekrem İmamoğlu is the “organization ringleader”, the detained defendants Murat Ongun, Fatih Keleş and Adem Soytekin, the undetained defendant Ertan Yıldız, the detained defendant Hüseyin Gün for another crime and the fugitive defendant Murat Gülibrahimoğlu are the “organization manager”.

In the diagram, it is stated that 10 organization members are directly affiliated with Ekrem İmamoğlu, and it is shown that 77 of the organization members are affiliated with Fatih Keleş, 35 with Murat Ongun, 8 with Ertan Yıldız, 7 with Hüseyin Gün, 6 with Murat Gülibrahimoğlu and 6 with Adem Soytekin.

In the indictment, Ekrem İmamoğlu was accused of “establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime”, “recording personal data”, “seizing and disseminating personal data”, “concealing evidence of crime”, “obstructing communication”, “damaging public property”, “bribery”, “publicly disseminating misleading information”, “extortion”, “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “laundering property values resulting from crime”, “tendering”. It is requested that he be sentenced to imprisonment for a total of 849 years to 2,430 years and 6 months for the crimes of “sedition”, “deliberate pollution of the environment”, “opposition to the Tax Procedure Law”, “opposition to the Forest Law” and “opposition to the Mining Law”.

In the indictment, Keleş was accused of “bribery” 48 times, “taking a bribe”, “giving a bribe”, 55 times “tender rigging”, 39 times “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, 8 times “laundering proceeds of crime”, “opposition to the Mining Law”, “opposition to the Forest Law”, “causing environmental pollution”, “opposition to the Tax Procedure Law”, It is requested that he be sentenced to imprisonment from 556 years and 8 months to 1542 years and 8 months for the crimes of “extortion”, “destroying, concealing or altering criminal evidence” and “obstruction of communication”.

In the indictment, which demands that Ongun be sentenced to imprisonment from 287 years and 6 months to 779 years and 6 months for the crimes of “bribery”, 53 times “tender rigging”, 33 times “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “giving personal data to others, disseminating or seizing”, “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “laundering proceeds of crime”, Yıldız is accused of “bribery”, “tender bidding”. A prison sentence of 86 to 251 years is foreseen for the crimes of “sedition” and “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”.

In the indictment, it was requested that Soytekin be sentenced to imprisonment from 67 to 194 years for the crimes of “bribery”, “chain bribery”, “extortion” and “laundering of proceeds of crime”, while Gülibrahimoğlu was accused of “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “laundering of proceeds of crime”, “forgery of documents”, “opposition to the Mining Law”, “opposition to the Forest Law”, “environment He is asked to be sentenced to imprisonment from 19 years and 6 months to 51 years for the crimes of “causing pollution” and “violating the Tax Procedure Law”.

In the indictment demanding Gün’s imprisonment from 20 to 40 years for the crimes of “establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime” and “giving personal data to someone else, disseminating or seizing”, it is stated that these defendants, who are the managers of the organization, should be punished separately as perpetrators for all crimes committed within the framework of the activities of their affiliated structures of the organization.

In the indictment, it is requested that the provisions of “effective remorse” be applied to the defendants Adem Soytekin, Hüseyin Gün and Ertan Yıldız, the organization’s managers, who gave information about the crimes committed within the framework of the structure and activities of the organization after they were caught.

In the indictment demanding a prison sentence of 35 to 91 years in total for Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, on charges of “taking bribes” 5 times, “extortion” twice, “illegal recording of personal data”, “illegal giving or obtaining of personal data” and “being a member of an organization established for the purpose of committing a crime”, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, was requested. It is requested that Çalık be sentenced to a total of 30 to 88 years in prison for 7 counts of “taking bribes” and “being a member of an organization established for the purpose of committing crimes”.

COMBINED FILE

The indictment prepared against 7 defendants, including Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, was combined with this case.

In the indictment, detained defendants İnan Güney, İsmail Akkaya, Seyhan Özcan and undetained defendants Veysel Eren Güven, Sabriye Akkaya, Mehmet Akif Bulut and Deniz Göleli are requested to be sentenced to imprisonment from 9 years, 8 months to 31 years and 8 months, separately for the crimes of “aiding an organization established for the purpose of committing a crime without being a member” and “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”.

KENT A.Ş., affiliated with CHP Karşıyaka Municipality, who has been receiving their salaries irregularly for 5 years in Izmir. Workers had protested many times on the grounds that they had not received their salaries for months. This time, civil servants took action in Karşıyaka Municipality, where the salary crisis continues. 455 civil servants staged a 1-day work stoppage on the grounds that their receivables were not paid. Civil servants gathered in front of the town hall and tried to make their voices heard by chanting various slogans.

WE ARE CREDITORS SINCE 2024

Making a statement on behalf of the group, Birlik Yerli-Sen Chairman Reşat Bozat said that a work stoppage decision was taken after the civil servants in Karşıyaka Municipality were not paid their receivables. Stating that each civil servant in Karşıyaka Municipality will receive 150 thousand liras as part of the social balance compensation since 2024, Bozat said: “We are not watching an intransigence here, but a systematic labor destruction and lawlessness carried out by the Mayor of Karşıyaka. The era of civility is over in this institution. The administration of Karşıyaka Municipality has exceeded its limits by trying to turn the sweat of the workers into an appetizer on the table. The authorized union has been working for three months.” “The Mayor, who stalled the workers, wasted time and brought the process to a dead end, came to us with an offer to ‘reduce your vested rights’. This offer is not a negotiation, but an operation to bring the workers to their knees.”

COMING TO THE OFFICER’S RIGHT, THERE IS NO MONEY IN THE SAFE.

Emphasizing that unpaid retroactive receivables are the future of their children, not the municipal budget, Bozat said, “We will not allow those who cannot manage the municipality’s coffers to put the bill on the workers and civil servants. Those who find resources for advertising signs, ostentation, and partisan projects should not embrace the lie of ‘there is no money in the coffers’ when it comes to the rights of workers and civil servants. This is a matter of choice, and we see that your choice is in favor of exploitation, not of the workers.” he said.

In his statement, Chairman of the TBMM Digital Media Commission and AK Party Giresun Deputy Nazım Elmas wished God’s mercy to those who lost their lives in the armed attack on a school in Kahramanmaraş and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Stating that they are trying to take precautions against negativities within the legal framework by working on social events in the digital field, Elmas touched upon the Social Services Law and the Bill on Amendments to Some Laws, which also includes regulations on social media and maternity leave.

Elmas said, “Articles 21, 22, 23 and 24 of this package introduce some regulations related to digital channels. This was a law study planned before the tragic events.” shared his knowledge.

Stating that technological changes are experienced very rapidly in this age, Elmas made the following evaluations:

“WE SEE THAT CHILDREN ARE DRAWN INTO NEGATIVENESS”

“Within these changes, it becomes clear that our children need education and awareness, especially regarding technology and the digital field, as well as a need for guidance and protection. Because we see that some games and some programs, which were first offered innocently to children, are later shifted to very different areas with commercial concerns, and children are sometimes drawn into such negativities for profit and profit purposes. Of course, this legal regulation we have made alone may not be enough to solve all the problems. This is a start, it is a responsibility that falls on this Parliament.”

Emphasizing the importance of families guiding and educating their children well, Elmas stated that the measures taken for children in schools are also valuable.

Regarding the collection of phones in schools, Elmas said, “We cannot hear from our children, their freedom is restricted.” Stating that he received criticisms, he said, “The measures taken are the studies that emerged by making some analyzes on the events encountered. It is useful to support and assist and to be in communication with the state, the school and the social environment by reading the measures to be taken in the future carefully and analyzing very well that these measures are planned for the benefit of young people and children.” he said.

Stating that non-governmental organizations should direct children to art, sports and positive activities against the negativities of the digital space, Elmas stated that families should be made aware of the digital space.

Nazım Elmas continued as follows:

“The child has his own room. The child has his own private life. Of course, the child will have a private life and a room of his own, but there are limits. Of course, he will continue to guide the child in a period when the family needs guidance and control. Maybe we set a goal for our children to be more free, but it is useful to remember that freedom is intertwined with responsibility.”

“DIGITAL MEDIA MUST ESTABLISH A CERTAIN PUBLICATION POLICY”

Pointing out the importance of communicating with digital platforms that do not have representatives in Türkiye, Elmas said:

“We invited digital space platforms from time to time in our Parliament and listened to them. They also answered the questions of our members of other political parties. Thus, we presented Türkiye’s demands and some of our expectations within the legal environment at this point. Of course, the commercial organization in front of us can set its own goals, but as a country, we also have to protect our children, think about the future of our children and announce that the Republic of Turkey is making some plans within itself. We are such a country and we work on it. “It continues, legal regulations are being made for it.”

Explaining that digital media also have responsibilities regarding the events that come to the fore in Türkiye, Elmas said, “Digital media have to put forward a certain broadcasting policy. In other words, each field has its own ethical principles. It must broadcast within the framework of these ethical principles.” he said.

Stating that it has become easier for digital media to use filtering systems using artificial intelligence in today’s age, Elmas said, “But apart from that, if a platform has a principled stance, it is certain that there will be no intention or effort to put in a broadcast from outside that is contrary to the principles of the platform within that principled stance, or to damage the reputation of the platform with that broadcast. Here, the platforms must first of all do something for the sake of humanity, for the sake of children. They need to show sensitivity for the sake of generations. There may be platforms that have certain expectations with commercial concerns, but these should not be the case either.” “There is a Turkey that has the power to always announce to them that it must control itself with ethical principles, that it must first control itself with ethical principles, and if it does not, it must comply with the laws, legislation, customs, traditions and traditions of the country in which it broadcasts.” he said.

Elmas, “Will Telegram representatives make a presentation at the Digital Mediums Commission?” In response to the question, he stated that the negotiations are continuing and said, “No matter what platform it is, if they show an attitude that will support the work done by the state and avoid giving the requested information in any way, at this point, there may be a new attitude, a new reaction or a new regulation with them based on this attitude.” he said.

Evaluating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement that “it is important to implement technical measures against attempts to circumvent VPN attempts,” Elmas said, “Every regulation is made for a social benefit. Every regulation is made to achieve results at 100 percent efficiency. If there are other practices that will affect this result, it is natural to prevent them.” he said.

Elmas stated that everyone should see the issue of digital media as a national issue and said, “Without creating any unnecessary conflict or agenda on this issue, ‘What can I do?’ We want everyone to mobilize with this problem. There is definitely something that every single one of us, 86 million of us, can do for this. “I invite everyone to take part at this point.” he said.