Within the scope of the investigation carried out for a while under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office; The operation decision was taken in line with the suspect’s statements taken by the prosecutor’s office, effective statements of remorse and the confessions of secret witnesses. In the early morning hours of July 20, 2026; Simultaneous raids were carried out on addresses determined in the provinces of Antalya, Kırıkkale and Ankara, especially in Izmit and Istanbul.

BREAKING NEWS: Bribery and corruption operation in Izmit Municipality: 31 detention orders, including Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet | Video

CLAIM THAT COMMISSION WAS RECEIVED

It is claimed that the companies that won and bid in the tenders organized by Izmit Municipality had kinship ties with the municipal officials, and that money was collected under the name of “commission” from the companies that received tenders from the municipality. It is also claimed that Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet’s husband, Murat Hürriyet, was directly involved in the tender processes, personnel recruitment and staff determinations.

HÜRRİYET TAKEN INTO CUSTODY: “I DID NOT EAT SOUR SO THAT I GOT A STOMACH ACHE”

Izmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet and her husband Murat Hürriyet were taken into custody after police teams came to her house and searched in the morning. Making a short statement in front of his house during the detention process, Mayor Hürriyet said, “I feel very at ease. I did not eat sour food so that my stomach would hurt. I love everyone very much.”

CHP DISTRICT CHAIRMAN AND BUREAUCRATS ARE ON THE LIST

Within the scope of the simultaneous operation, CHP Izmit District Chairman Gökhan Ercan was detained by Istanbul Financial Branch teams after a search at his home. It was learned that the investigation was not limited to political figures only, but also included municipal subsidiaries and critical directorates. Many high-level bureaucrats such as Izmit Municipality Bekaş General Manager Ömer Akın, Tender Officer Leyla Kıran, Financial Affairs Manager Seyhan Özcan, Private Secretary Nusret Ömürhan Yılmaz and Director of Technical Affairs Burak Güreşen were also included in the list of 31 people detained. While the searches continued in the municipality building and the addresses of the suspects, it was reported that the detained persons would be transferred to the Istanbul Vatan Police Department after their first procedures at the police station.

THE PRIVATE SECRETARY MANAGER AND HIS DRIVER WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

The corruption investigation that shook Izmit Municipality actually started a while ago. In the first wave, the municipality’s former Private Secretary Duygu Çetiner, the producer of the “Leyla Hanım” movie supported by the municipality, Koral Altın, and Mayor Hürriyet’s former driver Hüseyin Ergül were detained; Former Purchasing Manager Mehmet Şevket Verit was arrested and sent to prison.

HERE ARE THE 31 NAMES WHO WERE DETERMINED TO BE DETAILED WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION:

1. Fatma Kaplan HÜRRİYET – Mayor of Izmit
2. Murat HÜRRİYET – Mayor’s Spouse
3. Ömer AKIN – Izmit Municipality Bekaş General Manager
4. Gökhan ERCAN – Izmit CHP District Chairman
5. Leyla KIRAN – Tender Officer
6. Seyhan ÖZCAN – Financial Affairs Manager
7. Hamit İlker ULUSOY – Council Member, Surveying Engineer
8. Nusret Omurhan YILMAZ – Private Secretary
9. Figan ÇETİN – Former License Manager
10. Burak GÜREŞEN – Director of Technical Affairs
11. Engin ERTAÇ – Former Küçükçekmece Mayor Candidate
12. Mehmet ERSOYLU – Support Services Manager
13. Hakan ORAL – Bekaş Band Conductor
14. İrfan CAN – Presidential Driver
15. Hüseyin DEMİRKIR – Former Police Commissioner
16. Özlem Kırma DALKIÇ – Deputy Purchasing Affairs Manager
17. Yusuf KIRICI – Partner/Official of Rem Peyzaj Construction Company
18. Demet IŞILDAK – Sole Proprietorship Owner
19. Zekiye Köstekli ORAL – Özek Production Company Official
20. Adem OK – Yenibifikir Cleaning Company Official
21. Fatih YAŞAR – YK Turizm Automotive Official
22. Kenan YILMAZ – YK Turizm Automotive Official
23. Yasin OK – Zirvetur Car Rental Authority
24. Remzi GÜNGÖR – Nursel Asphalt Transportation Official
25. Çetin SARICA – MDS Management Officer
26. Ramazan KIRICI – Kırıcılar Construction Official
27. Yüksel KIRICI – Uygar Asphalt Construction Official
28. Cemil ÇELİK – Bekaş Bilişim A.Ş. official
29. Ali Han ÜNAL – DBSA Construction Official
30. Nihat ÖNAL – Arı Pazarlama Hardware Official
31. Selin Evren ÖZOĞLU – Lawyer

Breaking news: 17 suspects who were detained within the scope of the football betting investigation were sent to the courthouse after their procedures at the police station.

In the betting match-fixing investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, an operation was carried out against 19 club managers for allegedly betting on their own team’s matches in favor of the opponent or on goals during their tenure, and 17 suspects were caught during the operation. In the studies carried out by taking data from legal betting sites operating in Türkiye between the years 2020 and 2026 of the managers of football clubs, individuals who had coupons within the scope of bets in favor of the opposing team, bets on goals, and bets placed on players were identified during the period they served as managers in their clubs. A simultaneous operation was carried out to capture 19 suspects in 10 provinces centered in Istanbul, and 17 people were caught and detained. The procedures of the 17 suspects taken into custody at the police station have ended. The suspects were referred to the courthouse.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau and Cyber ​​Fighting Branch Directorate teams pressed the button in the fight against illegal betting before the World Cup Final Match, and the teams immediately blocked 6 thousand 314 bank accounts during the minutes when illegal betting traffic peaked. In the operation announced by the Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, detention orders were given for 23 suspects in the huge operation against 19 Foreign Finance Houses and gang leaders.

HUGE OPERATION BEFORE THE WORLD CUP FINAL

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, to which millions of football fans were glued, resulted in great destruction for illegal betting barons. The button was pressed in line with the Presidency’s circular numbered 2025/18 “Action Plan for Combating Illegal Betting, Games of Chance and Gambling in the Virtual Environment” published in the Official Gazette numbered 33064 dated 01.11.2025 and the coordination letter of the Ministry of Justice dated 16.02.2026. The “Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau”, which was specially established within the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on 26.06.2026, followed the giant organization step by step with its expert staff.

50 BILLION DOLLAR BETTING OPERATION

In the global and local analysis, it was determined that the huge amount spent on betting in the 2022 FIFA World Cup was 35 billion dollars, and this volume will reach 50 billion dollars in the 2026 organization. In coordinated studies carried out with the Istanbul Provincial Police Department Anti-Cyber ​​Crimes Branch Directorate teams, the Final Match was determined as the operation day when the illegal money traffic would reach its highest level.

6 THOUSAND 314 BANK ACCOUNTS SIMULTANEOUSLY BLOCKED

Stating that 6,314 bank accounts were identified before the World Cup Final Match and a simultaneous warrant was written to the banks to instantly block these accounts, Minister Gürlek said, “In this context, 6 thousand 314 bank accounts used in illegal betting traffic were identified, and a simultaneous warrant was written to the banks to instantly block these accounts with the start of the final match. In addition, 19 foreign financial houses, which were considered to be working integrated with illegal betting sites, were disclosed, and 23 suspects were identified.” Judicial proceedings have been initiated for his arrest. I would like to thank our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, our Istanbul Provincial Police Department, and all our public officials who took part in this process, and we will never allow illegal betting and virtual gambling that targets the labor of our youth, the peace of our families and the future of our nation. he said.

19 FOREIGN FINANCE HOUSES AND PANEL SYSTEMS WERE COLLAPSED

The operation was not limited to account blocking only. With the artificial intelligence-supported AVCI program, 19 Foreign Finance Houses connected to the PANEL system, which was integrated with illegal betting sites and provided organized money transfers, were exposed. A detention order was issued for 23 suspects who were determined to be System administrators and gang members. While 16 of the suspects were caught, efforts are continuing to capture 7 suspects.

Ministry of Internal Affairs: The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 669 suspects were caught in ‘qualified fraud, illegal betting and online child obscenity and harassment’ operations carried out by police teams in 39 provinces in the last 2 weeks.

In the statement made by the Ministry about the operation, “669 suspects were caught in the operations carried out by our police in the last 2 weeks within the scope of the Fight against Cyber Crimes. 361 of the suspects caught in the operations carried out against the crimes of ‘Qualified fraud, illegal betting and online child obscenity and harassment’ in 39 provinces were arrested, judicial control provisions were implemented for 191 of them, and the procedures for the others are continuing. Under the coordination of the General Directorate of Security, Department of Combating Cyber Crimes, MASAK and Chief Public Prosecutors’ Offices; Provincial Police Department.” As a result of the work carried out by the Anti-Cyber Crime Branch Directorates, the suspects caught in operations in 39 provinces; created phishing sites with the theme of ‘TOKİ social housing project’ and demanded money from our citizens for ‘application fee, file costs, tax fee’ reasons, gained unauthorized access to our citizens’ mobile banking and gaming accounts, made illegal betting and gambling, mediated money transfer on illegal betting sites, advertised illegal betting and gambling sites, advertised on social media. “It was determined that they were defrauding our citizens by using themes such as ‘white goods sales, share partnership, product price, investment partnership’ through their platforms and that they contained obscene images of children.”

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated in his post on his social media account that the fight against criminal organizations, organized crime structures and all kinds of dirty relationship networks that try to create space for these structures is continuing with determination.

Gürlek stated that in the investigation carried out by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was determined that the managers and members of the organization received criminal records, search records, arrest records, red notices, vehicle interrogation and customs passage information from some public officials who acted contrary to the definition of duties and powers, and in this context, 2 probation officers, 1 record clerk, 1 deputy customs enforcement director, 15 customs enforcement officers, 10 police officers and 2 lawyers were included. He reported that detention orders were issued for a total of 50 suspects.

Stating that simultaneous operations were carried out in Muğla, Bursa, Edirne, Çanakkale, Sivas, Tekirdağ, Diyarbakır, İzmir, Balıkesir, Ankara and Kayseri, Gürlek said, “There will be no tolerance for anyone who attempts to put the state’s resources at the disposal of criminal organizations, the dignity of public office and our nation’s trust in the state; legal proceedings will be taken against those who attempt to use public power for personal or organizational interests.” “It will be established without delay,” he said.

Gürlek stated in his post, “The main purpose of this struggle is to protect the peace of our nation, strengthen public order and further increase our citizens’ trust in the state, justice and law. We will continue to demonstrate the power of the state of law in the most determined way against criminal organizations in the Turkish Century.”

The first phase of the restoration work at Diyarbakır E Type Prison, which will be converted into a museum, has been completed. Diyarbakır Prison, the construction of which started in 1972 in the Bağlar district of Diyarbakır, was opened on July 4, 1980. The name of the prison, which was transferred to military administration after September 12, 1980 and used as “Martial Law Military Prison”, was associated with ill-treatment and torture. Work was initiated after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement during his visit to the city on July 9, 2021, “We are soon evacuating Diyarbakır Prison, which has been associated with cruelty, torture and inhumane treatment for a long time in the past, and present it to you as a cultural center.” Following the protocol signed between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on October 11, 2022, the restoration work of Diyarbakır Prison, which was transferred to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, started.

It was converted into a Memorial and Ethnography Museum by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the cells and wards were rearranged. Pictures from the old period were prepared and representative sculptures depicting the visitors were made. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to open the museum, which is expected to be completed completely by the new year.

His paintings from the archives of the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses also took their place in the museum. Among the pictures are Prison Commander Captain Esat Oktay Yıldıran, known for his bad practices in Diyarbakır Prison, and his dog Joe.