Politics
Witness in Istanbul corruption case says he paid $210K in bribes to IBB
A businessperson told an Istanbul court that he paid TL 10 million ($210,000) in bribes and was forced to hand over two plots of land worth TL 50 million while trying to collect hundreds of millions of liras owed to his company by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) and its affiliates.
Serbülend Danış, owner of Danış Asfalt, made the allegations during a hearing in a corruption case involving jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and other defendants.
Danış said he had previously told prosecutors that he was pressured into making payments while seeking to collect about TL 500 million in receivables stemming from contracts with the municipality’s Road Maintenance and Infrastructure Coordination Department and affiliated companies.
During the hearing, Danış accused former Republican People’s Party (CHP) Party Assembly member Baki Aydöner and his brother, Bulut Aydöner, of taking two plots belonging to him under the pretext of helping him collect the outstanding payments.
“Baki and Bulut Aydöner forcibly took two of my plots and victimized me,” Danış told the court, rejecting claims that he had contacted them because he wanted to enter politics. He said he planned to file a compensation lawsuit against the defendants.
Adem Tuncay, a former IBB advertising management official who cooperated with prosecutors under Türkiye’s effective remorse provisions, also testified at the hearing. Tuncay alleged that CHP-linked individuals visited him in prison and questioned him about his family circumstances.
He also claimed that after his release, he was not reinstated to his position and that his wife, who had worked for the municipality for 13 years, was dismissed.
On Wednesday, a total of 414 defendants, including suspended Mayor Imamoğlu, appeared before a judge at the 78th hearing in a corruption case involving the IBB. Fifty of the defendants are being held in pretrial detention.
Separately, Gözdem Ongun, the wife of former IBB official Murat Ongun, defended financial transactions prosecutors have cited in the case. She denied wrongdoing and said transactions totaling about TL 6 million through her company, BYZAG, stemmed from sales of jewelry and prayer beads.
The corruption investigation into Imamoğlu, was completed with a 3,809-page indictment filed on Nov. 11, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Imamoğlu, identified in the indictment as the leader of a criminal organization, committed offenses including establishing an organization to commit crimes, bribery, money laundering, fraud causing losses to public institutions and organizations, unlawfully recording, obtaining and disseminating personal data, concealing criminal evidence, obstructing communications, damaging public property, accepting bribes, publicly disseminating misleading information, extortion by a public official, laundering assets derived from crime, bid-rigging, intentionally polluting the environment and violations of Türkiye’s tax procedure, forestry and mining laws.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 828 years and two months to 2,352 years for Imamoğlu over 142 alleged acts.
Eight countries, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, welcomed Britain’s decision to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to a joint statement.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia, and Jordan said they welcomed the joint statement by 12 countries on the need for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ministers “reiterate their call for Israel to rescind all measures taken in connection with settlement activities and other measures aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the statement said.
It came after Britain, France and Canada on Tuesday joined nine other European countries in issuing a joint statement saying they planned to introduce or support restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements.
The three Western allies revealed the trade curbs in response to Israel’s West Bank settlements policy and reports of increasing attacks by settlers there against Palestinians, with a U.K. minister accusing Israel of turning a blind eye to the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians there.
The moves prompted a furious Israel to unveil immediate countermeasures targeting Britain.
Later Tuesday, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian leader Mark Carney warned in another joint declaration that the settlements “pose a direct and urgent threat” to a two-state solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said Ankara welcomed and supported measures taken by the 12 countries targeting commercial ties with illegal settlements.
“Israel’s efforts to eliminate the two-state solution are intensifying by the day,” the ministry said, warning that illegal settlements have evolved into a “systematic policy of occupation” that threatens the existence of a Palestinian state.
The ministry also said violence by illegal Israeli settlers had reached the level of “ethnic cleansing.”
Ankara argued that an adequate international response to Israel’s occupation policies has become essential to achieving a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.
Against this backdrop, Türkiye called on other responsible members of the international community to adopt similar measures against illegal settlements.
Türkiye reiterated that it would continue working toward the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with territorial integrity, based on the 1967 borders and with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa in Ankara, as diplomatic contacts between Türkiye and the United States intensify over regional developments.
Erdoğan met Barrack, Issa and the congressman’s wife at the Presidential Complex, according to Turkish officials.
Following the meeting, Barrack said he was “honored” to meet President Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex and hailed the strength of ties between the two NATO allies.
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence and the two countries approach a century of diplomatic relations, Barrack said the Türkiye-U.S. alliance “has never been stronger.”
He said the two countries share deep ties as NATO allies, economic partners and longstanding friends, adding that the talks with Erdoğan reaffirmed their commitment to regional security, economic cooperation and the enduring bilateral partnership.
The talks came a day after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Barrack and Issa in Ankara. The Foreign Ministry did not disclose details of their discussions, which took place as Ankara and Washington maintain close diplomatic engagement on regional issues, particularly developments in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
Türkiye is fighting on multiple fronts on social media, where disinformation and criminal activities threaten national security. The issue was under the spotlight again when a video of a man bragging about his lavish wedding surfaced, triggering a debate about the source of his income. The man was arrested on Tuesday after an investigation found that he was involved in money laundering. Commenting on the matter, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said social media cannot operate outside the law and cannot be left unchecked.
In a statement Wednesday, Gürlek stated that judicial authorities were investigating content “that attempts to cover up the source of illicit gains or content attempting to promote (a lifestyle) through illicit gains.”
“Our stance is clear: Virtual fame cannot be a front for hiding crimes and criminal gains,” Gürlek said.
Authorities have stepped up their crackdown on organized crime thriving on social media and messaging apps in the past few years. Investigations have particularly focused on gangs luring impressionable minors through social media with promises of quick cash in exchange for carrying out hits on rivals and extorting businesses. In July, security forces detained 216 suspects in a nationwide operation against social media accounts promoting organized crime gangs.
Elsewhere, the Communications Directorate of the Turkish Presidency is conducting a campaign titled “Stop Disinformation” to raise awareness about manipulative content and the dissemination of disinformation, particularly on sensitive issues. In the past two months, Türkiye blocked access to 2,034 social media accounts spreading terrorist propaganda, disinformation and provocative content.
The issue was also on the agenda of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, who spoke at a panel in Ankara on the fight against illegal betting and gambling, particularly on online platforms.
Pointing out that digitalization, while providing significant opportunities in many areas of life, is also transforming forms of crime and addiction, Yılmaz noted that the proliferation of online platforms, easier access via mobile devices and the diversification of new payment methods have enabled illegal betting and gambling activities to expand more rapidly, reach wider audiences and take on a cross-border nature.
Yılmaz said the promise of easy money is targeting young people in particular, through vast exploitation mechanisms operating under the guise of games and entertainment. “A loss that begins in one person’s account can turn into serious consequences that erode trust within the family, working life, social relationships and hopes for the future,” he said.
Yılmaz explained that illegal betting and gambling networks intersect with unregistered financial structures and organized crime groups, posing a threat to public order and economic security as well. “The multifaceted threat we face requires coordinated action across security, law, finance, health, education, social policy and communications,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, with talks focusing on major transportation investments and other projects planned for the Turkish capital.
Yavaş said he briefed Erdoğan on ongoing and planned projects, particularly metro investments aimed at strengthening Ankara’s transportation infrastructure.
He also thanked Erdoğan for his support for investments in the capital and his commitment to hosting the NATO summit in Ankara.
The mayor said he shared assessments of projects currently being carried out by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality as well as investments planned for the coming period.
Yavaş thanked Erdoğan for the meeting and his close interest in Ankara.
Üsküdar council member Ayhan Aydın denied claims that he was threatened into leaving the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), as prosecutors Wednesday launched an investigation into New Party (YP) officials over alleged pressure on three council members.
Aydın gave a statement as part of an investigation launched by prosecutors following claims by New Party Istanbul provincial chair Özgür Çelik concerning Aydın’s departure from the CHP.
“The statements attributed to me are not mine, and the claims do not reflect the truth,” Aydın said. “I was not threatened by any person, institution or authority.”
He also rejected the allegation that a prosecutor or another public official had threatened him, describing it as “completely baseless.”
Addressing his political switch, Aydın said his resignation from the CHP and subsequent decision to join the AK Party were voluntary.
“I made this decision after considering it for a long time and in line with my own political judgment,” he said.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched the investigation ex officio after Çelik claimed that Aydın had called him crying and said a prosecutor had threatened him with arrest.
Prosecutors subsequently ordered Aydın to appear and give a statement regarding the allegations.
On the other hand, the Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into New Party Istanbul provincial head Çelik and district chair Berk Tütüncü following complaints filed by three Üsküdar Municipal Council members in August.
The investigation centers on allegations related to the election of Üsküdar’s deputy mayor.
According to the complaints, the three council members said they were subjected to threats, insults and pressure aimed at influencing their decisions in the deputy mayoral election.
Prosecutors opened the investigation following the complaints filed by the council members against Çelik and Tütüncü.
The latest investigation comes amid heightened attention surrounding developments in the Üsküdar Municipal Council and the election for deputy mayor.
Dündar Ziya Gültekin, a municipal council member from the AK Party, was elected acting mayor of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district in a rerun vote on Tuesday following a court decision suspending the previous election.
The Türkiye-Africa partnership remains a strategic priority for the African Union, with efforts focused on turning existing cooperation frameworks into concrete programs that deliver measurable benefits, a senior AU official said Wednesday.
Gaspard Banyankimbona, the African Union commissioner for education, science, technology and innovation, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that cooperation with Türkiye, established under a framework launched in 2008 and strengthened by the 2021 Istanbul Declaration, continues to deepen.
“We are committed to translating this cooperation into measurable benefits for our people,” Banyankimbona said in an interview marking African Union Day on Sept. 9.
He said the AU was exploring deeper cooperation with Turkish institutions, particularly universities and organizations specializing in research and innovation, with an emphasis on partnership, mutual benefit and joint production.
The cooperation is expected to align education and skills initiatives with the AU’s Agenda 2063 development goals.
Banyankimbona also stressed the need for Africa to shift from being primarily a consumer of technology and knowledge to becoming a producer and developer.
With more than 60% of Africa’s population under 25, he said investment in education, digital infrastructure and innovation would be crucial to turning the continent’s demographic potential into economic gains.
He also called for efforts to transform Africa’s “brain drain” into “brain circulation” by strengthening research institutions, encouraging cooperation with the diaspora and creating incentives for skilled professionals to work across the continent.
Over the past 25 years, relations between Türkiye and African countries have expanded significantly across political, trade, security, defense, cultural and development sectors.
Türkiye increased the number of its embassies across Africa from 12 in 2002 to 44 by 2024, while the number of African embassies in Türkiye rose from 10 in 2008 to 38 in 2024. Mozambique and Botswana most recently decided to open embassies in Türkiye.
Economic ties have also strengthened. Türkiye signed trade and economic cooperation agreements with 50 African countries, investment agreements with 32 countries and defense industry cooperation agreements with 29 countries.
Trade volume between Türkiye and Africa rose from $4.3 billion in 2002 to approximately $40 billion by the end of 2025, according to the Foreign Ministry.
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