New Development in the Fifth Wave Operation: 5 Mayors Arrested
In the latest operation against municipalities affiliated with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), 22 people were detained, including Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akkün, Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, Avcılar Mayor Turan Hançerli, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Sihan Mayor Oya Tekin, CHP Central Executive Committee member Bekir Aydınır, and former MP Aykut Erdoğdu. The detentions were carried out as part of a judicial investigation.
The large-scale operation, which began with the detention of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer and expanded with the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu—along with numerous public officials and mayors, including Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, Şişli Mayor Rasim Emrah Şahin, and Büyükçekmece Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık—continued on Saturday, May 31, with a new wave of arrests.
The operation was based on statements by a businessman named Aziz İhsan Aktaş and several others who cooperated to benefit from the “effective remorse” law. The Istanbul Republic Prosecutor’s Office had issued orders for the detention, asset seizure, and interrogation of the suspects within the scope of four separate investigation files, and the legal process was completed yesterday morning.
22 People Detained:
The mayors and other individuals were transferred to the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul and interrogated until around 8:00 PM. The prosecutor’s office requested judicial supervision for six individuals and pretrial detention for 30 others, submitting the requests to the Criminal Peace Judgeship.
The judicial proceedings at the Criminal Peace Court lasted until 3:00 AM. Ultimately, the court ordered the arrest of 22 defendants—including five mayors—on various charges.
Names of Arrested Mayors, Deputies, and Others:
Arrested Mayors:
Hakan Bahçetepe (Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa)
Turan Hançerli (Mayor of Avcılar)
Kadir Aydar (Mayor of Ceyhan)
Oya Tekin (Mayor of Sihan)
Hasan Akkün (Mayor of Büyükçekmece)
Other Arrested Officials:
Aykut Erdoğdu (Former Istanbul MP)
Ali Sökas (General Manager of Ağaç A.Ş., affiliated with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
Veysel Erçevik (Former Deputy Mayor of Büyükçekmece)
Erdal Celal Aksoy (Deputy Secretary-General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)
Burak Kürzi (General Manager of Asfalt A.Ş., affiliated with Istanbul Municipality)
Arrested Deputy Mayors:
Erhan Daka (Deputy Mayor of Avcılar)
Ömer Kazancı (Deputy Mayor of Büyükçekmece)
Mehmet Mandacı (Deputy Mayor of Avcılar)
Reza Can Özdemir (Deputy Mayor of Büyükçekmece)
Celal Tekin (Spouse of Sihan Mayor)
İsmet Abacı
Additionally, judicial supervision orders were issued for nine individuals, including Halil Satı (General Coordinator of Büyükçekmece Basketball Club), Can Zafer Yaman, Görkem Dölekli, and Süngül Demir.
