The files were closed without even taking statements!
While operations were being carried out against CHP-run municipalities, it emerged that the prosecutor's office had closed the files containing allegations of corruption worth millions of lira handed over by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) with a decision that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’. The prosecutor's office did not even take statements from AKP members.
While operations were carried out one after another against the CHP district municipalities in the megacity, particularly the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), it emerged that the İBB's corruption files from the AKP period had also been closed at the prosecutor's office stage.
After Ekrem İmamoğlu was elected İBB Mayor in 2019, dozens of files containing allegations of corruption during the AKP era were submitted to prosecutors. The files, which had been gathering dust on shelves for years, were closed with a decision of ‘no grounds for prosecution’ without even taking statements from municipal bureaucrats from the AKP era.
Some of the files submitted to prosecutors are as follows:
KİPTAŞ CORRUPTION
In 2016, allegations of corruption were made regarding the Viaport Venezia project, which KİPTAŞ carried out using a land sale revenue sharing method. İsmet Yıldırım, then General Manager of KİPTAŞ, Deputy General Manager Tuncay Çolak, Deputy General Manager Cengiz Erdem, and KİPTAŞ Urban Planning and Urban Transformation Director Turgut Büyükçolak were accused of corruption in 2021. Although it was requested that the AKP-era İBB bureaucrats be punished for ‘abuse of trust due to service relations,’ the Gaziosmanpaşa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided on 30 December 2024 that ‘there were no grounds for prosecution’ and closed the case without even taking the suspects' statements.
BAŞAKŞEHİR ZONING RENT
In 2021, former İBB bureaucrats Erkan Başkan, Gökhan Yılmaz, Hakan Yiğit, Hürriyet Özdaşdöner, and Yunus Emre Küçük were sought to be punished for the crime of ‘abuse of office’ regarding a plot of land in the Başakşehir District. However, on 30 October 2023, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office again decided that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’ without even taking the suspects' statements.
85,000 DOLLARS SPENT
It was determined that Belbim A.Ş., an İBB subsidiary, spent 85,849 dollars and 33,388 Turkish Liras on Emre Alioğlu, who went to Northeastern University in the United States for postgraduate education in 2008, under the name of an overseas education scholarship. The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality determined that Belbim A.Ş. made regular payments to Alioğlu from its coffers under the name of an ‘overseas education scholarship,’ covering school fees and other expenses. Muammer Erol, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Belbim A.Ş. at the time, İskender Pala, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, former Board Members Ahmet Kazokoğlu, Memduha Tek, Sadık Karabıyık, Tayfun Karali, Alişan Koyuncu, Zekeriya İde, Yaşar Parlak, Abdulkadir İnceoğlu, Mustafa Erdoğan, and Rahime Erdoğan were requested to be punished for the crime of ‘abuse of trust in the course of their duties.’ The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office did not take the statements of the suspects and decided on 7 July 2022 that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution.’
FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED
In 2008, it was determined that İSBAK A.Ş., a subsidiary of the İBB, sent Fatih Gündoğan, Fatma Betül Sayan, Kevser Şimşek (Altun), Esma Dilek, Rahime Günay (Ceylan) and Şeyma Uluçay (İstengir) to pursue master's and doctoral degrees in different countries and provided them with overseas education scholarships. Although the İBB stated that the managers of İSBAK A.Ş. at the time had caused damage to the municipality and committed the crime of ‘abuse of trust,’ the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office closed the case on 16 June 2022.
TENDER FRAUD
Irregularities were identified in a tender organised by the İBB Information Processing Directorate in 2018. The then-İBB bureaucrats Adil Karaismailoğlu, former Information Processing Department Head Selim Karabulut, former Information Processing Manager Esma Dilek, former Information Processing Deputy Manager and Control Organisation Member Şehabettin Çağlar, Control Organisation Member Engineer Osman Atam, Acceptance Commission Members Engineer Bilal Keserci, Engineer Hüseyin Görgülü, Engineer İlkay Ebru Saykal, and İstanbul Digital Media Inc. officials, including former General Manager Abdurrahman Tığ, former Trade Manager M. Ulvi Güneş, and former Financial Affairs Manager Mustafa Güngör, were among the many names requested to be prosecuted for the crime of ‘interfering with the performance of an act.’ On 24 April 2024, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’ without even taking the suspects' statements and closed the case.
ENSAR FOUNDATION'S HOSTEL BUILDING
The student hostel built in Başakşehir was leased to the Ensar Foundation in 2008 for 3,600 TL + VAT. The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which had leased the dormitory for 49 years with a commitment to provide free dormitory services to students, stated that students were being charged significant fees and requested that Ensar Foundation manager Hacı İbrahim Dilitatlı be prosecuted for ‘fraud.’ On 29 November 2022, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’ without even taking Dilitatlı's statement.
LAND GRAB FILE
It was determined that in 2016, Atmaca Gayrimenkul purchased land for 49 million and sold it to KİPTAŞ, a subsidiary of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, for 130 million just four days later. Although it was requested that the KİPTAŞ managers of the period be tried for ‘fraud,’ the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office ruled on 14 August 2024 that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’ without even taking the suspects' statements.
A FAVOUR FOR İLİM YAYMA
In 2018, the imam hatip secondary school and dormitory buildings in Başakşehir were constructed by KİPTAŞ. However, the dormitory buildings were later allocated to the İlim Yayma Society free of charge for 25 years. It was emphasised that KİPTAŞ had suffered losses, and it was requested that 17 KİPTAŞ managers at the time be punished for the crime of ‘abuse of trust in the course of service.’ However, on 27 December 2024, the Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’ and closed the case.
In 2016, a tender was organised for an out-of-town training programme for İBB personnel on Innovative Approaches in Local Government. The tender was awarded to Stil Tatil Danışmanlık Şirketi, and the training was held at the Bolu Büyük Abant Hotel. However, the company that won the tender for the organisation had the hotel's 370,000 TL fee paid by the İBB. The İBB bureaucrats of the time, Ferrah Şarman, Hüseyin Eren and Volkan Çakmak, were sought to be punished for ‘abuse of office’. The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided on 20 July 2022 that there were no grounds for prosecution.
The imam hatip secondary school and dormitory buildings in Başakşehir were allocated to the İlim Yayma Society free of charge.
İSBAK TENDER SCANDAL
Allegations of corruption were made regarding the 2018 ‘In-vehicle camera and computer system’ tender by İSBAK, an İBB subsidiary, and a criminal complaint was filed against the municipal bureaucrats of the time. On 24 April 2024, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office ruled that there were ‘no grounds for prosecution’.
İSTAÇ SCHOLARSHIP FILE
İBB subsidiary İSTAÇ sent Kubilay Kaya, Emine Acet Oğuz, Mevlüt Fatih Peker, Hacer Ak, Mustafa Hatipoğlu, and Fatih Hoşoğlu to pursue master's and doctoral degrees in different cities in the United States in 2008.
Regular payments were made to the aforementioned individuals under the name of overseas education scholarships. Although it was alleged that ISTAÇ managers at the time had committed the crime of causing damage to the municipality and abuse of trust, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office closed this case on 16 June 2022.
YENİKAPI TENDER
It was stated that the municipal company İSTAÇ suffered losses in the 2013 Yenikapı Square Renovation tender. On 7 October 2022, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office closed the case with a ‘no grounds for prosecution’ decision without even taking statements from the municipal bureaucrats of the period.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Dosyalar ifadeleri bile alınmadan kapatılmış!, published in BirGün newspaper on October 23, 2025.
