As the case unravels, the pressure intensifies

Politics Service

The ruling party, shifting into high gear on the highway of repression, shows no signs of stopping. Unable to get what it wanted from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality case, the Palace regime's latest target in its operations against municipalities is the CHP-run Üsküdar Municipality. As part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Anatolia Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, an operation was carried out against Üsküdar Municipality based on allegations of “bribery and irregularities in building permit and occupancy procedures". Twenty people, including municipal officials and contractors, were detained during the operation. Mayor Sinem Dedetaş stated, “No public service gets away with punishment".

An operation was carried out targeting Kent A.Ş., a municipal subsidiary located within the Üsküdar Municipality building, based on allegations of “bribery and irregularities in building permit and occupancy processes.” As part of the investigation led by the Istanbul Anatolia Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, simultaneous raids were carried out at 30 locations in Istanbul and Yalova. Twenty people were detained during the operations, and a large amount of digital material was seized. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office stated in its announcement that “according to discussions with contractors, the permit processes were allegedly directed through a system purportedly operated via Kent A.Ş., and transactions were determined using a ‘color-coding’ method.”

THESE CLAIMS ARE NOT CONFIRMED

Journalist İsmail Saymaz asked Mayor Sinem Dedetaş about the allegations regarding the position of Kent A.Ş., which was mentioned in the investigation, within the municipality. Dedetaş stated that the company had been established earlier and had been part of the municipality before her term. Dedetaş, noting that they had moved Kent A.Ş. from within the municipality to another building, also rejected the claim that the company was specifically housed in a separate room within the urban planning department. Dedetaş made the following remarks on the matter: “Kent A.Ş. is, just like the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s KİPTAŞ company, its counterpart in Üsküdar. It is a company established before us to carry out urban transformation projects. It was already within the municipality before us. We moved it outside the municipality. In other words, they have recently moved. We moved Kent A.Ş. to another building so that the affairs of the Urban Planning Department and Kent A.Ş. would not get mixed up, and to prevent any accusations or suspicions from arising.”

Dedetaş made the following statements: “I do not believe for a moment that such a thing could happen. But I cannot say whether some lower-level employees or supervisors might have been involved in a crime. I absolutely do not believe such a thing is possible. “After all, we’ve already gone through six inspections and two Supreme Audit Institution investigations.” Dedetaş also explained that after taking office, she visited municipal departments and issued clear warnings to put an end to old practices. According to Saymaz’s account, she stated that old habits of accepting donations, particularly in zoning and licensing processes, had been banned.

THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Üsküdar Municipality also issued a statement regarding the detention of certain individuals, including executives of Kent A.Ş. The statement read: “The allegations that illicit gains were obtained through our municipality’s subsidiary Kentaş, that unauthorized individuals interfered in decision-making processes, and that public officials acted in this regard do not reflect the truth. No unit or subsidiary of Üsküdar Municipality can or has been involved in any unlawful activity.”

Meanwhile, images of bundles of cash released to the press following the dawn raid sparked significant controversy. Emrah Cerrahoğlu, the lawyer for Zeki Kulaç—the alleged owner of the money—stated in his statement that the funds had no connection to the municipality. Cerrahoğlu explained that the money in question was related to a business agreement and shared images of the relevant contract and wire transfer transactions.

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ARRESTED ONE AFTER ANOTHER

The ruling party has intensified pressure on CHP-run municipalities over the past month. Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım, Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel, and Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey were arrested one after another. The Bursa Metropolitan City Council will convene tomorrow to elect an acting mayor to replace Mustafa Bozbey, who was removed from office by a decision of the Ministry of the Interior. In the 106-member council, the People’s Alliance has a total of 59 members, while the CHP has 41 members.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Dava çöktükçe baskılar artıyor, published in BirGün newspaper on April 8, 2026.