Twenty-six suspects were detained in the Istanbul-based “My Family Is Safe” operation conducted as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation covers the alleged offenses of establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes, prostitution, obscenity, and possessing or purchasing drugs for personal use.
The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that technical and physical surveillance had been conducted by units of the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command and the Istanbul Police Department’s departments for combating smuggling and organized crime and cybercrime. Witness statements and tip-offs were also assessed.
Action taken against 38 suspects
As part of the operation, searches, apprehensions and seizures were carried out at 38 addresses belonging to 38 suspects: 20 in Istanbul, four in Ankara, three in Çanakkale, two each in Izmir and Antalya, and one each in Ordu, Elazığ, Balıkesir, Aydın, Kırşehir, Iğdır and Hatay.
On September 12 and 13, searches were conducted at 54 workplaces, homes and associations, including 10 businesses operating in Istanbul and six LGBTİ+ associations. The searches yielded 25 grams of drugs and stimulants, 10 grams of cocaine, 9 grams of cannabis, 10 synthetic pills believed to be drugs, seven syringes and needles, 2,000 bottles of smuggled alcohol, an unlicensed handgun, five camera recording devices and 26 mobile phones.
One business was sealed for operating in violation of its license. Efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects are ongoing.
Scope of the investigation
The prosecutor’s office said evidence had been obtained concerning certain activities involving children and minors as part of the investigation. The statement said the investigation was examining associations believed to have conducted these activities; individuals and groups believed to have financed them; people believed to have engaged in exploitation under the guise of paid social companionship services; and businesses believed to have provided a setting for unlawful acts under the appearance of entertainment activities.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek also announced that the “My Family Is Safe” operations, conducted under the coordination of the chief public prosecutor’s offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydın and Mersin, were centered in five provinces and covered 15 provinces. Gürlek said judicial action had been taken against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses as part of these operations.
Gürlek said the investigations were examining individuals and organizations believed to have facilitated prostitution or provided premises for it, produced or distributed obscene content, or conducted activities aimed at exposing children to such content. He also said simultaneous detention, search and seizure operations had been carried out following technical and physical surveillance, witness statements, digital examinations and the review of video recordings.
Gürlek said examinations by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board had established that some associations had received large amounts of funding from public institutions and foreign organizations abroad, and that investigators were examining whether these money transfers were connected to the activities under investigation. The investigations are continuing in all aspects.
