Politics
Key witness testifies over bribery scheme in Istanbul municipality case
A contractor testifying in a wide-ranging corruption and bribery trial involving Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) officials alleged in court that bribes were paid in connection with municipal tenders and project payments, saying the system operated through informal arrangements involving cash, apartments and commercial units.
Adem Soytekin, a contractor listed in the case file as an “organizing member,” gave testimony on the 28th day of proceedings in a case involving 414 defendants, including 92 who are in custody. The case centers on allegations of corruption, bribery and organized criminal activity linked to the municipality during the tenure of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.
Soytekin, who benefited from effective remorse provisions, told the court he decided to cooperate after he was “left alone” by the municipality. He alleged that contractors were pressured to make payments in order to receive money owed to them for work carried out on municipal projects.
“I paid bribes in exchange for tenders. This is how the system works,” Soytekin was quoted as saying in court.
According to Soytekin’s testimony, the general manager of IBB’s real estate subsidy KIPTAŞ, Ali Kurt, allegedly demanded $500,000 from him in connection with project payments. Soytekin said he did not have the full amount in cash at the time and asked an associate to collect $400,000, later completing the sum himself. He alleged that the money was delivered to Kurt through Murat Eren.
Soytekin said contractors believed they would not receive the payments they were owed unless they complied with the demand.
“If we had not given the money they wanted, we would not have received the money we were entitled to on time,” Soytekin told the court. “It was made clear to us that if the requested money was not paid, the funds that should have been transferred to contractors from KIPTAŞ accounts would not be sent to us for a long time.”
Soytekin also described what he called an informal payment and offsetting system inside the municipality. He said contractors were directed to build nurseries, cultural centers and dormitories, then collect their receivables through checks, apartments, shops or cash from third parties.
In another part of his testimony, Soytekin said three apartments in the Deniz Istanbul Project’s Mercan residences were transferred to his company in February 2020 without direct payment. He claimed the apartments were given in return for renovation work at the CHP’s Istanbul provincial headquarters in the Ayazağa district, a building previously linked in public debate to footage showing cash counting.
Soytekin further said municipalities often do not construct public buildings solely through their own resources, adding that projects are sometimes carried out under what he described as “voluntary donations.”
During questioning, the presiding judge asked Soytekin about his earlier statement that $1.5 million had been sent to Kurt. Soytekin initially did not provide details, prompting the judge to say the court was having difficulty communicating with him.
“Bribe, Mr. President, bribe,” Soytekin replied.
The corruption investigation into Imamoğlu, who was suspended from his post as Istanbul metropolitan mayor and jailed, was completed with the preparation of a 3,809-page indictment on Nov. 11, 2025.
In the indictment, he is identified as the alleged “leader of a criminal organization” and is accused of several offenses, including establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes, bribery, laundering criminal proceeds, fraud against public institutions and organizations, recording personal data, illegally obtaining and disseminating personal data, concealing criminal evidence, obstructing communications, damaging public property, receiving bribes, publicly spreading misleading information, extortion, laundering assets derived from crime, rigging tenders, deliberately polluting the environment, violating the Tax Procedure Law, violating the Forestry Law and violating the Mining Law.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 828 years and two months to 2,352 years for Imamoğlu over 142 alleged acts.
The first hearing was held on Monday, March 9. Since the start of the trial, 36 defendants have presented their defenses. No hearing was held on Friday, while proceedings continue four days a week.
Longtime foes Türkiye and Armenia held another meeting of their joint working group, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The meeting in the eastern Turkish province of Kars was a step toward normalization between the neighbors. The ministry said that the meeting focused on rehabilitation and resumption of the Kars-Gyumri railroad, and sides affirmed that immediate resumption was essential for improving regional transportation connections.
Armenia pursues normalization efforts with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, a process accelerated particularly after Azerbaijan’s victory over Karabakh, a territory occupied by Armenia for years.
Relations began to thaw after the 2020 Karabakh war, with both sides appointing special envoys to pursue normalization talks and negotiating the reopening of their land border. So far, limited agreements have allowed third-country citizens and diplomats to cross, but a full reopening remains elusive.
Renewing relations with Armenia is especially key for Türkiye’s ambitions to serve as part of an economic chain or corridor traversing the region. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that in remarks last January. He said the Zangezur Corridor played an important part in normalizing the ties. The corridor is a proposed 43-kilometer (27-mile)route through Armenia that will connect Azerbaijan with its exclave, Nakhchivan. It is viewed as a key link between the three countries for seamless commercial ties.
Türkiye approached the U.S. and Lebanon with a proposal to help broker an arrangement involving Hezbollah, according to sources quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
The initiative would see Ankara act as a mediator and take an active role in efforts to address the Hezbollah issue, the sources noted. The proposal comes as Türkiye seeks to expand its diplomatic reach in the Middle East and position itself as a regional power broker.
The U.S. administration has not given a clear response to the proposal, with officials neither accepting nor rejecting the offer, as the sources cited.
Türkiye has sought a larger role in several regional files in recent years, including in areas close to Israel. In Gaza, Ankara had aimed to participate in a planned peacekeeping force expected to be deployed under U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, but Israel opposed the inclusion of Turkish troops.
In Syria, Türkiye has also become a significant player following the rise of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, while Israel has sought to prevent Turkish military bases from being established there.
Before the current Iran-U.S. cease-fire, Türkiye said any agreement with Iran should also include Lebanon.
Most recently, Ankara delivered 360 tons of aid to displaced civilians through the Port of Beirut.
More than 1 million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon and Beirut since the start of the war.
“Türkiye will always stand by Lebanon and its friendly people,” Turkish Ambassador Lutem said at an aid delivery event. “Türkiye has consistently supported Lebanon through its official institutions and nongovernmental organizations.”
On Saturday, Netanyahu ordered the army to escalate its attacks against Lebanon in response to Hezbollah attacks.
More than 2,500 people have been killed, over 7,750 injured and over 1.6 million displaced by Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanese official figures.
A 10-day cease-fire was declared between Lebanon and Israel on April 17, though Tel Aviv repeatedly violated it.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend the truce by three weeks following a second round of talks between the two sides in Washington.
Hezbollah has carried out a series of drone attacks targeting Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, citing Israel’s repeated violations of the truce.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz praised relations with Serbia as he attended a reception in Ankara hosted by the Serbian Embassy on Monday.
“We view Serbia as a country essential for the stability of the Balkans and believe that Turkish-Serbian relations would have good consequences for the region,” he said.
Yılmaz recalled Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to Türkiye last February and noted that it was an important step in empowering bilateral relations. Yılmaz noted that he hosted Serbian Prime Minister Duro Macut during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Türkiye earlier this month and said his meeting focused on joint steps to strengthen bilateral relations.
Yılmaz noted Türkiye would be represented well in Expo 2027, which will be hosted by Serbia, and the event would provide opportunities for reinforcing bilateral commercial and cultural ties.
The vice president stated that the trade volume between the two countries rose to $3.4 billion in 2025, and both countries’ leaders set a goal of increasing it to $5 billion. He noted that Turkish contractors reached a business volume of $2 billion in Serbia.
“We also see benefits in enhancing our cooperation in the defense industry,” he said.
As Parliament passed a new law to restrict social media for children, the minister of Family and Social Services says there may be more on the way.
The country has been working since 2024 on new restrictions targeting social media use by children under 15, as part of a broader effort to protect families in the digital age, Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said on Tuesday. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Göktaş said that one of the key pillars of the government’s Family Protection and Strengthening Action Plan is safeguarding children and families in an increasingly digital environment. “On the one hand, we aim to raise digital literacy awareness among families, but on the other, we will not leave our children at the mercy of algorithms, big companies, and digital and technology firms,” she said. “We know very well that they generate significant profits through these platforms and over our children.”
She said that the ministry held workshops in 2024 on digital addiction, bringing together parents, children, and experts, as well as separate sessions focused on protecting children in digital spaces. She noted that children, particularly while gaming, tend to choose darker, more powerful characters, often associated with weapons, and may sometimes identify with them in real life, a trend she described as striking and concerning.
Pointing to rising screen time, Göktaş said children’s age of entry into social media has dropped to as young as six.
She also warned of the long-term risks of children’s digital footprint, saying online activity at a young age could lead to legal consequences later. “In the coming years, children under 15 may face various legal cases simply because of what they shared online. We are already seeing such cases. Content posted at age 14 can resurface at 17 or 18, leading to serious legal outcomes that could affect their lives. This is very dangerous, and parents need to be aware.”
The minister said the government’s goal is not to ban platforms but to regulate them. She noted that similar regulations are being introduced globally, citing measures in the EU, Australia, France and Spain, adding that Türkiye has developed its own model based on international examples.
Under the planned regulation, social media platforms will be required to implement age verification systems for users under 15, appoint representatives if they have more than 1 million users in Türkiye, remove inappropriate content within one hour, eliminate misleading advertisements, and strengthen parental control tools.
Göktaş also said that, for the first time, gaming platforms will be included in the regulatory framework. Under amendments to the relevant law, platforms with more than 100,000 users will be required to appoint representatives in Türkiye.
Sanctions will apply to non-compliant companies, she said, adding that a secondary regulation is expected within six months, after which the rules will be fully implemented nationwide.
“This regulation requires about six months, as a bylaw needs to be issued,” she said. “The process will involve the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), the cybersecurity department, experts and other stakeholders. We, as the ministry, will also contribute our views, because protecting children is a necessity.” She emphasized that families must also be part of the process. “Our aim is to supervise and provide a safer digital environment for children. We want them to exist and be empowered in that space, but if dependency arises, we also want to prevent it. We are setting a norm,” she said.
The new law bans children under the age of 15 from entering social media while tasking companies to set up safe online spaces for them. It put Türkiye on the map of countries seeking ways to protect the impressionable young people from online risks, from radicalization to fraud, sexual abuse and cyberbullying. The law has been on the agenda of lawmakers for some time now, but two school shootings earlier this month appear to be fast-tracking its passing. The second school shooting in the province of Kahramanmaraş by a 14-year-old boy sparked a debate about social media. In the aftermath of the attack that killed 10 people, a barrage of online threats against schools was uncovered, and security forces found out that those behind the threats were mostly underage. The perpetrator’s reported online activity linking him to manipulative content promoting violence has also raised concerns.
Türkiye abstained from using the term “ban” for children, but the bill rather refers to the move as creating safe digital spaces for children under the age of 15. An age verification system will be introduced to prevent children’s access to inappropriate content. Social media companies will be tasked with informing users of the restrictions. They will also be mandated to provide clear, user-friendly parental control tools. These tools will include management of accounts (of children), parental permission for subscription-based processes, purchases or rentals, as well as monitoring usage time and options to restrict screen time for children. Social media companies will also be mandated to prevent deceptive ads. Companies with more than 10 million daily accesses from Türkiye will be required to comply with the authorities’ order to take measures against social media accounts within one hour.
Separately, the bill requires gaming platforms to sell or host unrated games or mandate hosting them at the highest age limit.
The law is expected to be given final approval by the president within 15 days. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already announced that they would take measures to mitigate the online risks to children’s safety and privacy, in remarks in the wake of school shootings.
Australia was the first country to introduce restrictions on social media access for children under 16 last December. The restrictions led social media companies to revoke access to more than 4 million accounts. In March, Indonesia followed suit, while Spain, France and the United Kingdom are working on measures to restrict social media access to children.
Göktaş said Türkiye recently hosted an international summit on protecting children in digital environments and issued a joint declaration with UNICEF. “All countries are going through a similar process,” she said. “At the summit, one of the key points was that no country can address this issue alone. Technology is evolving rapidly.” She said the declaration calls on technology companies to prevent harmful content targeting children from the design stage of games and digital services. “We are also implementing an age verification system. This is a comprehensive and secure policy. Türkiye is one of the leading countries in this area,” she said. “Our goal is to protect children, ensure a safer digital environment, and not leave families alone in this process.”
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday attended the 11th Three Seas Initiative Summit in Dubrovnik on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as part of efforts to boost regional cooperation in energy, transport and digital infrastructure.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Fidan represented President Erdoğan at the summit, which brings together countries located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas to enhance cooperation across key strategic sectors.
Launched in 2015, the Three Seas Initiative serves as a presidential-level platform uniting 12 European Union member states. It focuses on strengthening connectivity and fostering economic development across Central and Eastern Europe, particularly through joint projects in transportation, energy security and digital infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the summit, Fidan met with Borjana Kristo, chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The talks in Dubrovnik addressed bilateral ties as well as regional developments, highlighting Türkiye’s continued engagement in the Balkans.
The initiative aims to narrow development gaps within the European Union while reinforcing regional resilience, as participating countries seek to deepen cooperation in infrastructure and strategic connectivity.
Mustafa Çiftçi, who was appointed as Interior Minister in February, underlined that they were working for the “Century of Peace” as the Republic of Türkiye is now in its second century. “Our security paradigm is centered on prevention,” he told journalists at a panel in Ankara on Tuesday about the media’s role in the fight against drugs.
Çiftçi said drugs were “a cluster of problems” and expanded organized crime networks, adding that they were also a source of revenue for financing terrorism. “It is a dark swamp feeding many crimes. It is our responsibility as the state to drain it,” he said.
Türkiye has long been a critical transit hub for illicit drug trafficking due to its location bridging Europe and Asia. It is on the so-called Balkan Route where heroin from Asia is trafficked to Europe, while synthetic drugs manufactured in Europe are trafficked to Asian countries.
The minister said Türkiye’s strategic location meant great opportunities in other fields, but it also meant a greater responsibility for the fight against crimes across borders. He noted that Türkiye’s struggle was not only a security matter confined to its own borders, citing the drug trafficking routes, international crime rings and regional instability, adding that it contributed to regional and global security. “Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we are building upon a vision for peace, security, stability and a strong social structure. We center our vision on family, youth, the future,” he said.
Çiftçi noted that the fight against drugs was not limited to counternarcotics operations, capturing suspects and legal procedures. “We are operating on a holistic approach, diagnosing the risk at its source, closing the paths to crimes, protecting the youth, raising awareness among families,” he said. The minister stated that one of the most important tools of this approach is the Project Support System (PRODES), carried out within the ministry’s Directorate General for Relations with Civil Society. “Our ministry provides grant support to associations in exchange for projects, the institutional capacities of our NGOs are strengthened, public-NGO cooperation is improved, and solutions to social problems are produced through voluntary organizations.”
Referring to the prevention projects carried out by the Ministry of Interior, Çiftçi reported that 9,798,000 citizens have been reached through these efforts.
“Between Jan. 1 and April 25, 2026, we carried out 17,188 operations against drug manufacturing and trafficking. In these operations, 16.8 tons of narcotics, 51.2 million drug pills, and 49,000 cannabis and skunk drugs (a cheap hybrid drug) were seized. The fact that 46 of the 298 organized crime groups we targeted were focused on narcotic crimes clearly shows how intertwined the drug threat is with organized crime, street violence, illegal money networks and the financing of terrorism.”
Expressing that the role of the media in the fight against drugs is a matter of utmost importance, Çiftçi said: “We see the media as one of our most strategic stakeholders that raises social awareness, warns families, protects youth, brings the public together with accurate information, and carries the will to fight to the broad masses. I would especially like to state that every media representative here undertakes a very valuable responsibility that appeals to the common conscience of society. This is because, in this struggle, words are at least as important as operations. News language, visual choices, headlines, repeated expressions and broadcast flow directly affect social perception. Any narrative that encourages, normalizes, sensationalizes or arouses curiosity about drugs causes great harm to the struggle.”
Çiftçi stated that any expression that portrays drugs as attractive, pleasurable, or easily accessible creates a risk for young people. He emphasized the need to avoid news language that marginalizes, hurts or portrays addicted individuals as helpless or dangerous. Since last year, a string of high-profile drug busts targeted celebrities, from singers and actors to social media influencers. Dozens of suspects were detained and tested for drugs.
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