Four Istanbul Municipalities Under Probe Over Terror Funding
Istanbul police on March 11 detained 32 suspects for allegedly financing the DHKP-C terrorist organization under an investigation targeting Ataşehir, Maltepe, Sarıyer and Şişli municipalities.
The prosecution's inquiry is based on the allegations related to certain tenders conducted between 2014 and 2016 in the district municipalities of Sarıyer and Şişli.
The investigation suggested that municipal employees in Ataşehir and Maltepe were also tasked with facilitating the flow of funds to the terrorist group. All four municipalities were led by mayors from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) at the time.
The chief public prosecutor’s office issued arrest warrants for 38 suspects, and 32 of them, including municipal employees, have been detained.
Local media reported that among those facing arrest warrants was former Sarıyer Mayor Şükrü Genç, adding that he, currently out of the city, is en route to Istanbul.
As part of the investigation, former Maltepe Mayor Ali Kılıç has been listed as a victim, while former Şişli Mayor Hayri İnönü and former Şişli Deputy Mayor Emir Sarıgül have been summoned to testify as witnesses.
The probe, initiated based on the testimony of a repentant member of the DHKP-C, revealed that the organization took control of a textile company following disputes over the dismissal of its workers and the non-payment of their wages.
The terror group-led textile company participated in tenders issued by the Sarıyer and Şişli, where sweaters and t-shirts intended for distribution to children were procured.
Corruption was uncovered in these tenders following investigations by a public inspector, according to local media.
The inspector report alleged that the clothing was awarded to the company in violation of tender conditions and at prices above market value, suggesting that these practices facilitated financial support for the terrorist group within the municipalities.
In the early hours of March 11, police carried out simultaneous raids across various addresses in Istanbul, as well as in the western province of İzmir and Bursa and the northern city of Samsun.
Nine district municipalities in Istanbul have been under investigation in a separate inquiry concerning alleged links to the PKK terrorist organization.
Source: HDN
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