The statement at the police station of Erhan Karaal, Deputy General Manager of Kültür A.Ş., affiliated with IMM, who was tried without arrest in the “İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Profitable Organization” case, who was kidnapped in Maltepe, Istanbul and rescued in a movie-like operation, has been revealed. 12 suspects detained regarding the incident were referred to the courthouse after their procedures. Erhan Karaal, the then Financial Affairs Manager of Kültür A.Ş., which caused a public loss of 6.2 billion lira through the advertising tenders given to pro-government companies in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was being tried as a member of the organization in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality indictment, and his kidnapping 1 month before he was to make his defense drew attention to the tender files in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

In his first statement, Erhan Karaal, whose treatment continues in the hospital, was alleged to have said, “They forced me into the vehicle and beat me. They did not even allow me to look left or right. We changed a few vehicles. Then they took me to a warehouse.” Allegedly; The suspects asked Karaal about the location of 500 kilograms of gold, which was obtained through corruption by the Ekrem İmamoğlu Crime Organization and was considered lost. In Karaal’s statement, “When the suspects first beat me, they asked me, ‘Where is the 300 kilograms of gold?’ they said. And I said, ‘I don’t know.’ They beat me and asked ‘Where is the 500 kilograms of gold?’ they asked. They continued to beat him. “If the police had not come a little later, they would have killed me,” he was alleged to have said. It was learned that Karaal was tortured for 36 hours, his nails were pulled and he was beaten with an iron pipe.

‘IF THE CONTRACTORS HAVE ANY CONNECTION, I WILL COMPLAIN’
It was learned that Karaal said, “I had problems with these men, it is true. However, I do not think that the kidnappers are related to them. If they have a connection, I will file a complaint” regarding the two contractors in custody and a suspect who was dismissed from Kültür A.Ş.

In the simultaneous operation at a total of 90 addresses in 4 provinces centered in Istanbul, 42 suspects, including CHP’s Adalar Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat, Deputy Mayors Hüseyin Yılmaz and Fırat Durak, and municipal council members Yavuz Çiftçioğlu and Mehmet Nuri Kaya, were detained. The 3 people were released after their statements. Of the 39 suspects who were referred to the courthouse and interrogated by the prosecutor’s office, 35, including Akpolat, Yılmaz and Durak, were brought to court with a request for arrest. Judicial control was requested for 4 suspects. In the chain of scandals in which Akpolat and his assistants played the leading role, it was determined that every transaction, from turning a blind eye to illegal construction to license negotiations, had a “tariff”.

“A PROFIT-MAKING WHEEL”

According to the investigation file, the municipal administration first sent the police to illegal constructions and intimidated the property owners with sealing and high zoning fines. Then, intermediaries and deputy mayors stepped in and started negotiating bribes to “solve” these problems. With the investigation file, it was determined that this structure in the Adalar Municipality turned bribery into a “constant and profitable wheel” and used public resources for personal benefits.

“LET’S NOT GO TO THE BOTTOM, MAYOR”

It was determined that Deputy Mayor Hüseyin Yılmaz reminded Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat on January 21, 2026 that this place had reached the settlement license stage and that it had been “lowered” by 60-70 thousand euros in the previous period, and said, “Mayor, we should not go below 150 thousand euros.” It was determined that Mayor Akpolat said, “Let’s meet, I will talk like a monster, let’s not go below 100 thousand euros. We worked hard for that.” Later on, when Levent Durmuşoğlu offered 500 thousand liras (approximately 10 thousand euros) for the settlement, it was revealed that Hüseyin Yılmaz underestimated the figure by saying “Are you kidding me?”

On February 10, 2026, in the office room where the president and his deputy were present, it was seen that Durmuşoğlu objected to this figure, stating that the owner of the land, Müge Bouillon, was in financial difficulties.

It was revealed that after İrfan Durmuşoğlu did not pay the requested 150 thousand euros, the municipal administration put pressure on other construction works pursued by this person. Durmuşoğlu stated that his other projects on Pazar Street, Burhan Street and Şehit Ümit Ortaç Street were sealed because he did not pay the money.

In the tapes, it was determined that İrfan Durmuşoğlu said, “They are sealing this side to get 150 thousand dollars from me,” referring to the municipality administration, and described the situation as “i…ness” and “i…ness”.

THE MANSION BELONGS TO THE CEO
Negotiations for granting a residence and hotel license to a luxury mansion belonging to Müge Bouillon, who lives in France, on Heybeliada show that the municipal government works in foreign currency. It was determined that İrfan and Levent Durmuşoğlu were responsible for the business of this land belonging to Bouillon, who is the CEO of the Sweden-based gaming company Embracer Group.

SECURITY DEPARTMENT HEAD DELIVERED THE HARD DISKS
The corruption network in the Adalar Municipality was revealed through the statements and camera recordings given to the prosecutor’s office by Kasım Turan, the Security Department Chief of the municipality. While 2 hard disks were taken under protection by the police units on March 25, 2026, the disks were seized and an investigation was initiated with the decision of the Istanbul Anatolian 8th Criminal Judgeship of Peace dated March 26, 2026.

PROVEN BY TECHNICAL FOLLOW-UP
When the seized hard disks were examined, the moments when the people who allegedly paid bribes entered the municipality building with packages or bags considered to be money in their hands were captured.

SABAH has accessed the details of the reasoned decision of the Second Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) regarding the dismissal of Şevket Kuyruk, the former President of Kozan High Criminal Court, who was suspended from his duty, and currently Aksaray Judge.
In the unanimous decision; It was stated that Kuyruk continued his contact with Serhan Gültekin, who was wanted for “attempted deliberate murder” in 2024, called the chief prosecutor and asked about the detention decision, provided an open line and traveled more than a thousand kilometers with the suspect.
The case filed against Kuyruk at the Adana 3rd High Criminal Court for the crime of “favoring the criminal” ended in acquittal due to lack of conclusive evidence. Adana Regional Court of Justice 2nd Criminal Chamber also definitively approved this decision on June 4, 2026. However, despite the judicial acquittal, the HSK decided to dismiss with administrative action.
According to the reasoned decision, Kuyruk called Kozan Chief Public Prosecutor Yunus Fırat after learning about the armed wounding incident from the suspect Gültekin. In his statement, Chief Public Prosecutor Fırat stated that Kuyruk called him and asked whether a detention decision had been made for Serhan Gültekin and whether this decision could be reversed.
Providing an open line, Kuyruk departed from Kozan on the night of April 4, 2024, with the official driver’s vehicle. It proved that the tail and the fugitive suspect’s lines gave signals together along the route of Kayseri, Nevşehir and Kırşehir. The vehicle used by Kuyruk was stopped by police on April 5. Witness statements supporting the defense of Kuyruk at the wheel were refuted by official documents.

AK Party presented the 12th Judicial Package to the Presidency of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which was prepared to speed up the judiciary and prevent files from moving between courts. AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Muhammet Emin Akbaşoğlu gave information about the 29-article package at the press conference he held. The highlights of the package to be enacted before the Turkish Grand National Assembly goes on recess are as follows:

LACK OF DUTY AND LACK OF AUTHORITY: The Supreme Court of Appeals will not be able to give an overturning decision on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction or lack of authority in the appeal review of files that have passed the appeal stage. However, cases handled by regional courts of justice as first instance courts will be excluded from this ban.

SINGLE JUDGE: The scope of the types of cases to be resolved by a single judge instead of a panel in administrative courts is being expanded. Annulment and full jurisdiction cases not exceeding 486 thousand liras for 2026; Cases related to students, public officials and cases related to needy pensions are included in the scope.

EXPERT LIMITATION: Judges and public prosecutors who apply to experts on matters that do not require technical or special knowledge in the trial activity and that can be resolved exclusively with the legal knowledge required by the profession will be given a warning penalty.

LEGAL INTEREST: In cases where interest must be paid according to the Turkish Code of Obligations and the Turkish Commercial Code (legal interest), if the amount is not determined by contract, this payment will be made annually, at 80 percent of the rediscount rate applied by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey in short-term loan transactions on December 31 of the previous year.

SALE OF PROPERTY OF RESTRICTED PEOPLE: The sale of movable and immovable properties belonging to restricted persons under guardianship will be carried out by auction through the electronic sales portal integrated with UYAP.

EXECUTION – PROCEEDING: The procedure for initiating direct enforcement proceedings for judgments regarding a sum of money receivables, attorney fees and trial expenses ruled against the administration by the judicial authorities is being changed.

INHERITANCE SALES: In real estate sales where all owners are heirs, only the heirs of the owners will participate in the first auction. Thus, the aim is to sell the real estate primarily to one of the heirs.

HYPOTHETICAL PAYMENT: In compensation for loss of ability to work and deprivation of support, for the part of the person’s earnings for the specified period, starting from the date of the tort; The principle of accruing legal interest is imposed on the part belonging to the hypothetical future period (unknown period) starting from the date of decision.

E-HEARING: The scope of the e-Hearing system is being expanded. Preliminary examination hearings can also be held via e-Hearing.

TORTURE AND TORTURE
Provisions regarding the postponement of the announcement of the verdict; It will not be applied to crimes of torture and torment, as well as crimes committed by a public official due to his duty and which can be considered ill-treatment within the scope of Article 17 of the Constitution titled ‘Immunity, material and moral existence of the person’.

“ALLY for Future: Young Muslim Women Leadership Program” started in Ankara.

Albayrak, who gave a speech titled “Women Making a Difference: Examples of Leadership in the Struggle for Human Rights” at the event held in the capital, showed the participants the images of a doctor and nurse performing surgery with a phone light, an engineer trying to bring clean water with limited resources, and a mother trying to maintain her child’s routine in a war environment.

Pointing out that women who lead society under the most difficult conditions are almost never seen in the world’s dominant leadership narrative, he said, “Why don’t we see women in this dominant narrative?” Emphasizing that they had to ask the question, Albayrak said that the answer dates back to the founding of the modern world.

Stating that those who say they discovered the world outside themselves spread their own maps on the people living there, Albayrak continued his words as follows:

“These maps, of course, did not just show the land. These maps determined who was the center, who was the periphery, who was the subject, who was the object, who was considered civilized and who was primitive. Those who placed themselves at the zero point of mind and civilization defined everyone by their distance from this center. The further you are from the center, the more incomplete you are, the more you need to be defined and the more you need to be rescued. The clearest summary of this view was made by Rudyard Kipling. We can say that he wrote the manifesto of colonialism. The poet, I mean the poet in quotation marks, described the people living in the lands they colonized as half-demons and half-humans. If you think about it a little, you realize that these people must be controlled. If they are children, these people must be educated because they cannot think on their own, they cannot think of their own good. In both cases, these people were always seen as needing someone else to speak on their behalf. We cannot see this as an ordinary poetic play on words. It was a way of seeing, a map of action.

Albayrak said that more than a century has passed, words have changed, but unfortunately the maps remain.

“THE ROLE GIVEN TO MUSLIM WOMEN HAS NEVER CHANGED”

Albayrak pointed out that university chairs, the language of the media, and even the discourses of human rights and freedom continue with polished versions of this colonial understanding, and said:

“The role assigned to the Muslim woman on this map has never changed. She is either a victim to be saved or a mother to be blamed. Very recently, during the genocide that we have been watching live for the last 3 years, I came across an article in one of the most famous European magazines. It shares a statistic. A statistic explaining why there are so many child deaths in Gaza. This statistic shows the following. Fertility rates… In a sense, the conclusion that the magazine expects us to draw is that the reason for many child deaths in Gaza is women’s fertility. That’s all.” We are talking about a map that can become brutal. I am talking about a map that does not consider a third possibility, for example, the possibility of being the subject of one’s own life, as possible or appropriate. We saw this in its most naked form after October 7. Unfortunately, in some of the most prominent publications in the world, the topic turned around gender roles, the female body and freedom. Again, the responsibility was placed on the Palestinian woman, that engineer, that mother. “What would have happened if it had been seen? If it had been seen, the illusion of that map would have been broken because the map did not even allow for the possibility that those women could be leaders in those difficult conditions without compromising their own values and without expecting a reward.”

Emphasizing that they can undertake any work that works for the honor and freedom of women, Albayrak made the following evaluations:

“Our objection is to the transformation of this discourse, which is presented here as universal rights, into a rising apparatus of domination for a single type of woman, a single type of person, under the guise of universality. Our objection is to the fact that a woman’s choice is accepted as a free choice only when it confirms the dominant narrative and mostly the liberal and secular narrative. The orientalist imagination has always carried the veil to a possible exoticism or seen it as a symbol of domination. We raise the possibility that veiling may be a woman’s own choice.” He found it inappropriate from the very beginning. Think about it, it is a narrative that speaks in the name of freedom, but it sees the veil carried by millions of women as a tool that can only be worn by someone else’s pressure, and it has the right to speak on behalf of those women, because in that narrative, free and critical thought is only secular. Believing and surrendering can only happen if it conflicts with free thought.”

Pointing to what had previously happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, today in Gaza and Iran, Albayrak emphasized that the heinous attack in which a girls’ primary school in Minab was destroyed by missiles under the US and Israeli bombardment, and more than 100 girls, most of whom were between the ages of 7 and 12, were killed, was still very fresh in our minds.

“MY GREATEST EFFORT WAS TRYING TO REDRAW THAT MAP”

Pointing out that every story of the Western-centered world that begins with the promise of “rescue” ends with the drama of women and children, Albayrak said, “I am not someone looking at this picture from the outside. The identity I carry as a Muslim woman, this identity that radically shapes the way I understand the world and take action, stands at the center of my story. My work on education, my years spent in civil society, my stance on this podium today, all of them are the direction in which the same identity and experience carries me. I am one of the women who want to be defined on that map.” “I am one and my greatest effort throughout my life has been to try to redraw that map with my own hands, my faith and my own values.” he said.

Emphasizing that this problem should be approached with a playmaker’s mind rather than responding with anger, Albayrak said, “We must enter into a new language, a new way of thinking, a new understanding, a new vision of the future that is nourished by its own cultural and intellectual ground. We must put forward a proposal for a multi-centered world that can look at each other at eye level. Our ground on which to create this proposal is not empty. Our civilization is full of very strong female representatives who founded and direct it.” he said.

“NONE OF THEM WAS SILENCED OR EXCLUDED”

Dr. Esra Albayrak, Hz. He pointed out that none of the female companions and wives of the Prophet, who left their mark on Islamic history, especially Khadija, were silenced, excluded, or crushed under victimization.

On the contrary, Albayrak explained that these women were founding subjects who transformed the place they were in, in commerce, in scientific assemblies, in the very center of administration and social life, with their own beliefs and values, and said:

“If we can clear our minds from the stereotypes imposed on us, the image of the victimized Muslim woman will disappear when we look at our own history. The same women open up a horizon for us beyond the modern career-oriented narrative. Because if you pay attention, the story of none of them gains value in wealth or status. What makes them history is the brave decisions they made in difficult moments while remaining true to their values. For us, a leader is not the one who gets the most appreciation or admiration. In today’s words, the leader is not the one who gets the most ‘likes’. The leader is the one who builds meaning, inspiration “He is the one who looks at the picture from a different perspective, sometimes from a step behind. He is the one who can be trusted to take responsibility when things go wrong. Leadership is not about accumulating titles, but about creating your own map. It is possible to see this spirit in that doctor from Gaza who left his own country and came here.”

“WE WITNESS THAT TROUBLES CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY”

ALLY for Future Founder Albayrak said that young women came to the program from 25 countries and that they met for the 3rd time in the women’s leadership program, which they founded with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Women’s Advisory Council, which they worked to establish 10 years ago.

Emphasizing that their languages, colors and cultures may seem different, but they look at the horizon with the same faith and shoulder the burden of the same age together, Albayrak said:

“On the one hand, we, women, bear the weight of wars, migrations, and rising Islamophobia the most, as in every period of history. On the other hand, we are struggling to express ourselves within a map drawn by someone else’s definitions. I see many young women among you who feel the weight of these burdens intensely on their shoulders. Dear young friends, remember that that burden is your only opportunity. It is your treasure, not the one that oppresses you, but the one that lifts you up, makes you walk tall, and creates the steel will to stand against the unfair world. The direction of history. When you look at those who changed their lives, you see those who have the courage to lift the burden on their shoulders, those who have a problem, those who have a problem that will get them out of bed early every morning. We may not all have to pay the same price, but we must have a cause, a problem for which we are willing to risk death.

Underlining that he is not talking about artificial problems imported from the agendas of other centers, Albayrak said, “I am talking about the cause of establishing our own story, constructing our own narrative, and making an understanding that sees humans valuable just because they are human, prevailing on earth.” he said.

“This problem is much more critical in our current period because we are currently standing on two great thresholds of history.” Albayrak said:

“We talk about the troubles, but we witness that the same troubles create an opportunity. On one side, Gaza… It clearly shows us the moral bankruptcy of the established global order and so-called universal values. That map we have been talking about from the beginning is literally cracking up before our eyes. This is a historical threshold. On the other hand, it is a beginning that has not yet been written. Artificial intelligence, the technocolonial order that we see can be rebuilt with artificial intelligence. Humanity is in the beginning days of perhaps the greatest transformation since the printing press. This transformation is either the existing unjust system or the beginning of it.” “The old map is collapsing, the new map has not been drawn yet, the moral codes have not been written yet, but we may have the opportunity to be at the table of the new order. We, as young people, must be candidates for this.”

Albayrak thanked the Ministry of Family and Social Services for bringing them together in the program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other institutions for their support.

London Climate Action Week (LCAW) 2026, organized to draw attention to the importance of finance, innovative solutions and international cooperation in the fight against climate change, brought together global climate leaders.

Climate finance and green transformation agenda came to the fore at the London Stock Exchange opening ceremony held within the scope of London Climate Action Week. To the ceremony; COP31 High Level Climate Champion and Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş, UK Special Representative for Climate Rachel Kyte, Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP32 President Gedion Timothewos and Green Finance Institute (GFI) CEO Dr. Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE attended.

Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High Level Climate Champion, emphasized the critical role of climate finance in global transformation in his speech at the London Stock Exchange Market Opening Ceremony. As part of the ceremony, Ağırbaş rang the opening gong of the London Stock Exchange and gave a strong message to the global finance world for climate action and a sustainable future.

“THE WORLD NEEDS PROGRESS, NOT MORE PROMISES”

Samed Ağırbaş, in his opening speech at the London Stock Exchange, made evaluations about the COP31 process and stated that climate targets should be supported by concrete practices.

Ağırbaş said, “As we move towards COP31, the world does not need more promises. What it needs is progress. We must unlock financial resources, accelerate innovation, and place zero waste and circularity at the center of transformation and mitigating the effects of climate change.”

Ağırbaş stated that the fight against climate change is not only an environmental issue, but also an economic and social transformation process, and emphasized that this transition process should benefit all segments of society.

Ağırbaş said, “We must also ensure that this transition process benefits people, especially women and young people. COP31 is not only a goal, but also an opportunity. In this way, it is possible to put it into practice.”

ZERO WASTE FORUM’S GLOBAL VISION WILL BE SHARED IN LONDON

London Climate Action Week creates a global platform to accelerate climate action by bringing together investors, financial institutions, businesses, public representatives and non-governmental organizations every June.

While many events are held throughout the week under the titles of finance, energy, nature, politics and sustainable development, the importance of common sense and collective action in achieving climate goals is emphasized.

During the contacts to be held within the scope of London Climate Action Week, the work carried out by the Zero Waste Foundation on a global scale and the priorities of the Zero Waste Forum, in line with the Zero Waste vision put forward by First Lady Emine Erdoğan, will also be brought to the agenda.

A CALL FOR TRANSFORMATION FOR THE WORLD OF THE FUTURE

Zero Waste Foundation continues its work to strengthen global partnerships, pointing out that finance, technology, innovation and sustainable living models are complementary elements in the fight against climate change.

The Zero Waste approach not only manages waste; It stands out as a comprehensive transformation model that aims to re-evaluate the entire life cycle from production to consumption. This understanding offers a holistic approach that increases resource efficiency in the fight against climate change and contributes to the protection of natural assets.

As we move towards the COP31 process, Zero Waste Foundation; It continues to take an active role in international platforms to strengthen climate finance, expand the circular economy and support sustainable development goals.

The message given at the London Stock Exchange revealed that climate action should be at the center of not only environmental policies but also the global financial system. The importance of finance, technology, public and society acting in line with common goals for a more livable future was once again emphasized.