Istanbul police Financial Crimes Department teams started working within the scope of the investigation into the crime of extortion under the coordination of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

During the investigations, it was determined that financial benefits were requested from contractors and business followers in some constructions within the area of ​​responsibility of Üsküdar Municipality, citing violations of the project as a justification for occupation license applications. It was determined that the demands were shaped as a result of the evaluations in which senior managers participated, and the occupancy procedures of the illegal buildings were approved.

Within the scope of the investigation, it was reported that, in line with the orders and instructions of Kent Hizmetleri A.Ş. General Manager Nazım Akkoyunlu and Üsküdar Deputy Mayor Filiz Deveci, the contractors were forced to sign a contract with Kent A.Ş. under the name of “consultancy service” during the process of issuing building permits in the municipality. Action was taken upon evidence that the suspects committed the crime of “extortion” by acting as participants in the process of obtaining unfair profits through this method.

In this context, simultaneous operations were carried out at a total of 14 addresses, 13 in Istanbul and one in Muğla. While 7 suspects were caught and detained during the operations, a large number of digital materials were also seized.

Bilal Erdoğan, in his speech at the “Common Mind Meeting” program organized by the Union of International Democrats (UID) in Aleppo, said that Syria becoming a strong country and Türkiye’s brotherly neighbor country would be an achievement not only of Syria but also of the conscience of humanity. Stating that they have been working with the understanding of “What can we do for Syria” since December 8, 2025, and that this visit will enable Türkiye’s hand of friendship to reach Aleppo faster and do better things, Erdoğan said:

“Our brotherhood with Syria is unlike anything else. We are not talking about brotherhood in words, protocol or diplomacy. We truly feel at home here. We feel like we are in a town as close as if we left Istanbul to Bursa. We feel the same feeling when we leave Istanbul and go to Skopje. We feel it when we leave Istanbul and go to Sarajevo. We leave Istanbul to Konya, from Istanbul to Samarkand, Bukhara, We feel it when we go to Baku. Because we have a geography of hearts that others cannot understand. That’s why we want to know whether a world war will break out today. Where else will genocide continue? We believe that in this dark world, where the ongoing wars, the ongoing persecutions, the ongoing genocides will end, it is still possible, and that humanity will prevail with God’s grace.” Stating that the International Democratic Union is a union of people who keep the torch of hearts and the light of conversation bright, Erdoğan stated that Türkiye is one of the central countries of the world.

Emphasizing that Türkiye is one of the countries that left their mark on the 21st century, Erdogan continued as follows: “If there is to be a transfer of civilizational watch while these great power rivalries continue in the world, where Türkiye stands will play a very important role in this transformation, this important transformation. Therefore, Turkey has to work not only to strengthen itself, but also to ensure that all the members of our heartland, along with Turkey, of all brother countries that are members of this alliance of human conscience, are prosperous, stable, peaceful and strong. For this reason, the International Democratic Union is only about the Turks in the world.” It is not an organization of the diaspora. It is also the only non-governmental organization in the world that will stand by our entire heartland, encourage them, organize, support and encourage them to get better education, to be more effective in business and to rise to higher positions in the politics of the countries they live in. Therefore, the International Democratic Union has a very big mission. This mission does not only concern Türkiye. “It concerns.”

Erdoğan, who is in Kazakhstan to attend the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting and the Unofficial Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, continues his contacts.

HE INSPECTED THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER

President Erdoğan inspected the Alem.AI Artificial Intelligence Center after the Türkiye-Kazakhstan Business Forum.

Erdoğan received information about the center from Kazakhstan President Tokayev and other officials who accompanied him, and watched the video about Türkiye projected on the screens.

During his visit, President Erdoğan was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, AK Party Deputy Chairman Ömer İleri, President of the Organization of Turkish States (TDT) Aksakals Council Binali Yıldırım, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Presidential Foreign Policy and Security Chief Advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç and Presidential Private Secretary Hasan Doğan.

Minister Çiftçi visited AK Party Erzurum Provincial Headquarters and met with Provincial Chairman İbrahim Küçükoğlu and members of the organization. Minister Çiftçi said that Erzurum has been one of the cities that has embraced the national will most strongly for centuries, with its heart climate kneaded with faith, the spirit of brotherhood and the love of the nation.

Stating that the AK Party, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is not just a political movement, but a great cause movement born from the heart of the nation, Minister Çiftçi said: “Our Erzurum organizations have always demonstrated the strongest will in our fight shoulder to shoulder with our nation against tutelage focuses, dark calculations and circles that want to set up a game on Turkey. With God’s permission, the vision of the Turkish Century rising under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” “In line with this, we will continue to carry our country to a stronger future in every field, without deviating from the policy of work and service.”

Minister Çiftçi said, “Each member of our organization, who works day and night, assumes a great responsibility for Türkiye to reach a stronger future. May God always preserve our unity, solidarity and belief in our cause.”

Accordingly, the letter of the General Directorate of Personnel of the Ministry of Justice dated 13 May regarding the proposal to determine the judicial districts of the newly established Sandıklı, Serik, Suşehri and Ortaca High Criminal Courts was discussed by the General Assembly of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors.

The General Assembly decided to remove the Sandıklı district from the judicial district of the Afyonkarahisar High Criminal Court and determine the judicial district of the Sandıklı High Criminal Court as “Sandıklı, Hocalar and Kızılören districts”, to remove the Serik district from the judicial district of the Manavgat High Criminal Court and to designate the judicial district of the Serik High Criminal Court as “Serik district”, to remove the Suşehri district from the judicial district of the Şebinkarahisar High Criminal Court and to determine the judicial district of the Suşehri High Criminal Court. It was decided that the judicial district of Ortaca High Criminal Court will be determined as “Ortaca, Dalaman and Köyceğiz districts”, and that Ortaca district will be removed from the jurisdiction of Fethiye High Criminal Court.

The decision will be implemented as of the date the specified courts become operational.

In the indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Aziz İhsan Aktaş, Gürkan Dölekli, Özer Ayık, Hakan Bahçetepe, Seza Büyükçulha, Baki Aydöner, Erdal Celal Aksoy, Gözde Bahçetepe and Aziz Lal were listed as “suspects”.

While the indictment included 2 separate actions, in the evaluation of the first action, it was stated that the suspects Seza Büyükçulha and Baki Aydöner were included as defendants in the “Ekrem İmamoğlu profit-oriented criminal organization” case.

Looking at the crimes charged against Aydöner in this case and the actions the suspect was involved in, it is stated in the indictment that he used his power to gain unfair advantage by using his closeness to İmamoğlu, even though he did not have a position in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and that he met with contractors and had their receivables collected from the municipality, and in return he obtained financial benefits.

In the indictment, it is stated that the suspect used a vehicle registered in the name of Aziz İhsan Aktaş’s company for nothing, that Aktaş gave him 100 thousand dollars after meeting the suspect and made a kind of gesture. “It was put forward in the case where ‘Ekrem İmamoğlu profit-oriented criminal organization’ is being tried.” statements were included.

In the indictment, it was stated that Aktaş met people named Baki Aydöner and Ertan Yıldız through Burak Korzay, and that he aimed to solve their business and problems by meeting the financial demands of these people.

In the indictment, the suspect Aydöner stated in his defense that he had rented the vehicle, but that there was no invoice etc. Although he stated that he returned the vehicle because it was not given to him, it was stated that in addition to his CHP political identity, he also had a tradesman identity from his family, and that he was in a position to know the procedures of renting a car, like everyone else.

In the prepared indictment, the following was noted:

“Therefore, his statements about the unfair benefits he received from Aziz İhsan Aktaş were not taken into account, it was understood that the suspect acted with the aim of solving problems in CHP municipalities and making money from people and contractors who requested the municipality, and that the suspect Seza Büyükçulha gained influence by using his close friendship with İmamoğlu, and tried to meet the demands and solve the affairs of people who made demands from CHP municipalities. Therefore, although the suspects Baki Aydöner and Seza Büyükçulha were involved in the excavation “Although they do not have the direct authority to issue permits and business licenses, it has been observed that they have the influence to obtain these permits.”

BRIBERY, FORGERY IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, FORGERY IN PRIVATE DOCUMENTS…

In the indictment, which states that the suspect Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is tried for the crimes of “establishing a criminal organization for profit purposes”, “rigging a tender”, “rigging the execution of an act”, “bribery”, “forgery of official documents”, “forgery of private documents”, “laundering of assets resulting from crime”, “opposition to the tax procedure law”, made sincere statements by showing active remorse during the investigation phase, the mayors and mayors who demanded money from him. It was noted that he shared what he knew about the people in contact with these people with the chief prosecutor’s office, tried to concretize the acts of giving money with receipts and dates, and that the statement taken in this context was seen to be compatible with the determined issues.

In the indictment, it was stated that it was not unusual for Aktaş to accuse himself and his partner, the suspect Gürkan Dölekli, regarding the excavation permit received from the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality and the process of opening a business and working license obtained from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality of the commercial enterprise of which he is a partner, and added: “Considering the communication and base records before the dates when both permits were given, the suspects Aziz İhsan Aktaş and Gürkan Dölekli were accused of the work carried out on their behalf by Bedaş in the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality, which was kept on hold.” It was evaluated that “they gave 200 thousand dollars to the suspects Hakan Bahçetepe, through the suspects Seza Büyükçulha and Baki Aydöner, for the excavation permit and the business opening and working license held in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the suspects Baki Aydöner and Hakan Bahçetepe gave a base in Gaziosmanpaşa district on May 8, 2024, 1 day before the excavation permit was given.”

In the indictment, which stated that the suspects Bahçetepe and Özer Ayık had common base information on May 1, 2024 and May 3, 2024, it was stated that they had base information in close proximity on the date the excavation permit was given.

In the indictment, it was stated that they gave a bribe of 300 thousand dollars to Erdal Celal Aksoy, and the person who delivered the money to the suspect Bahçetepe was the suspect Özer Ayık.

In the indictment, which stated that the bribery agreement with Aksoy was made through the suspect Büyükçulha, it was stated that Aksoy made a joint decision with Büyükçulha on September 3, 2024, and with Dölekli on September 7, 2024.

In the indictment, when the base records of the suspect Dölekli are examined, it is stated that he met with the suspect Erdal Celal Aksoy shortly before and shortly after the license permit, and considering that the suspect Dölekli had contact with the other suspects Bahçetepe, Aydöner and Büyükçulha, the statements of the suspect Aktaş were consistent and the defenses of the other suspects were aimed at avoiding the accusations.

In Action 2, the indictment stated that Hakan Bahçetepe, after being elected Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa in the 2024 local elections, abused his position and made unfair profits, and in this context, he bought a vehicle for 3 million 70 thousand liras on June 28, 2024, approximately 2 months after he became mayor.

In the indictment, it was stated that it was understood that the suspect bought it on behalf of his wife’s father, the suspect Aziz Lal, because he was a public official, he was obliged to declare his property, and it was possible to determine whether the criminal goods were subject to registry.

Although the suspect Aziz Lal stated that he paid for the vehicle with the dollars he had at home, the indictment stated that it was not unusual for him to keep around 100 thousand dollars of money at home. “Considering the financial data of the person, the vehicles used by Hakan Bahçetepe before becoming the mayor were very old model, cheap vehicles, the fact that it was not unusual for him to keep money in foreign currency at home due to his location and the job he did, and the fact that the suspects Hakan and Gözde Bahçetepe used the vehicle, Hakan Bahçetepe’s ill-gotten income and his wife It was stated that “in order to cut the causal link between the vehicle that was the subject of the crime that he bought for Gözde, he registered the vehicle in the name of the suspect Aziz Lal, and in this way, the suspects, as a participant, committed the crime of laundering the assets resulting from the crime.”

In the indictment, it was stated that after becoming the mayor of Bahçetepe, he acquired a vehicle worth 3 million 70 thousand liras, that the suspect’s MASAK data was examined, that there were very low amounts of money movements in his account before he became mayor, that the money paid for the vehicle was not obtained with the earnings of his own work and effort, and that his action constituted the crime of “unfair acquisition of property”, since it was not determined that it was acquired within the scope of “bribery” or “extortion”.

REQUEST FOR UP TO 24 YEARS OF PRISON AGAINST HAKAN BAHÇETEPE

In the indictment, Hakan Bahçetepe was asked to be sentenced to imprisonment from 10 to 24 years for the crimes of “illegal acquisition of property”, “laundering of criminal assets” and “taking bribes”.

Other suspects, Gürkan Dölekli, Baki Ayöner, Özer Ayık, Seza Büyükçulha, Erdal Aksoy, Gözde Bahçetepe and Aziz Lal, were requested to be sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 3 to 24 years for crimes such as “taking bribes”, “giving bribes”, “intermediating bribes”, “laundering assets resulting from crime”.

The indictment also states, “Since the suspect Aziz İhsan Aktaş reported and informed our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office about the acts of bribery to both Hakan Bahçetepe and Erdal Celal Aksoy before the investigation began, it is requested to decide that there is no need to apply the provisions of Article 254/2 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 on the suspect Aziz İhsan Aktaş and to impose a penalty on the suspect.” It was said.

The investigation of the indictment by the Istanbul 35th High Criminal Court continues.