In Ankara, ahead of the NATO Summit scheduled for July 7-8, security measures are being intensified while the city faces a rising threat from organized crime groups. It has been reported that there has been notable criminal activity in the capital's underworld over the past month.
THREATS AND SHOOTINGS FROM "ÇİRKİNLER" AND "DALTONLAR" According to Tolga Şardan from T24, the criminal group known as "Çirkinler" sent threatening messages via mobile phones to all employees of a major company, stating "your time is running out." Subsequently, they sent a "black wreath" to the same workplace to instill fear and carried out a shooting.
A message reportedly sent on behalf of the "Daltonlar" group threatened the wife and son of a currently active and "important" politician, demanding a "share of the street." It is said that most of the threatened businesspeople are close to the AKP, and the situation has been reported to the AKP Headquarters.
SECURITY MANAGEMENT CHANGES IN ANKARA BEFORE THE NATO SUMMIT The Ministry of Interior replaced the Ankara Governor and Ankara Police Chief due to a state of necessity. The new governor, Yakup Canbolat, came from Aydın, and the new police chief, Maksut Yüksek, arrived from Konya; neither had prior field experience in Ankara.
The Ministry of Justice also sent Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Gökhan Karaköse to the Supreme Court; the appointment of a new chief prosecutor has not yet been finalized. Ankara will enter the NATO summit with a new governor, new police chief, and new chief prosecutor. CHANGES IN LOWER RANKS ARE ALSO ON THE WAY District governors, deputy governors, police promotions, and appointments through the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors decree will bring new assignments in Ankara within the next two weeks.
The police and prosecution continue their investigations into the Çirkinler and Daltonlar groups. Following threats against a leading construction company in Ankara, police have provided temporary protection to the firm, while armed attacks and threat messages against various workplaces continue.
UNDERWORLD ACTIVITY INCREASES AHEAD OF NATO SUMMIT Tolga Şardan's full article states: "There has been notable activity in Ankara's underworld over the past month. The criminal groups 'Çirkinler' and 'Daltonlar' have begun issuing threats and carrying out shootings in the capital.
The Çirkinler group sent threatening messages to all employees of a major company via mobile phones, stating 'your time is running out.' They then sent a 'black wreath' to the same workplace to instill fear and carried out a shooting. Meanwhile, a message reportedly sent on behalf of the Daltonlar group threatened the wife and son of an important politician currently active in politics.
They demanded a 'share of the street.' Less than a month remains until the famous NATO summit, which will be attended by world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump. Although the heart of the country's politics beats in the capital, Ankara is experiencing tense and challenging days regarding public safety and order related to the summit.
Before delving into details, some additional information is necessary for better understanding. The ruling party recently made two significant cabinet appointments, both less than three months ago. The Ministers of Interior and Justice were replaced on the same night.
Especially after the change in the Ministry of Interior, responsible for security measures at the NATO Summit on July 7-8, the new Minister Mustafa Çiftçi has been holding consecutive meetings with the security bureaucracy to manage the situation.
Alongside ensuring the safety of world leaders and their delegations attending the summit, the daily life flow in the capital will naturally continue. Accordingly, the Ankara Governorship implemented certain security measures from July 6-12 that could halt city life. The Ministry of Justice has intensified operations through prosecutors to maintain security and order in the city.
While these measures are being taken, it is worth noting that the city's "appointed administration" has changed with recent decrees. The Ministry of Interior replaced the Ankara Governor and Police Chief due to a state of necessity. The new governor, Yakup Canbolat, came from Aydın.
He has worked in large cities like Konya, Bursa, and Aydın but, like Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, has no prior field experience in Ankara. The new Police Chief, Maksut Yüksek, came from Konya and also lacks street-level experience in Ankara. "Congratulations" visits are still ongoing for the two senior bureaucrats, who are already on duty during the NATO summit process whenever they find time.
The changes were not limited to these two appointments. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek replaced Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Gökhan Karaköse, who became a Supreme Court member as expected. Just before Karaköse's "urgent farewell within 12 hours," the courthouse stairs were washed with soapy water, a notable detail marking his departure.
As of last night when this article was written, the new chief prosecutor appointment had not been finalized. The strongest candidate is Deputy Minister Burak Ceyhan, Minister Gürlek's right-hand man. There are many rumors behind this change at the Ankara Courthouse, but the main claim is that the change aims to accelerate judicial actions against the city's "elected" administration. Time will tell.
Ankara's Provincial Gendarmerie Commander appears to remain in place for now. Although gendarmerie appointments have not been announced, Major General Cengiz Yıldız, appointed last year, will continue. Ankara will enter the NATO summit with a new governor, new police chief, and new chief prosecutor. It is also important to remember the changes in lower ranks following these three appointments.
District governors, deputy governors, police promotions, appointments, and High Council of Judges and Prosecutors decrees are on the way. New assignments will take place in Ankara within two weeks once these are published. While changes occur in city management, interesting developments have also taken place in Ankara over the past month.
In fact, these have not yet become a major political agenda but will soon significantly affect public safety and order in the city. Specifically, after the arrest of Ayhan Bora Kaplan and his team, Ankara became the main target of the underworld. It was unclear for a long time who would fill the vacant space. Selahattin Yılmaz was also arrested and imprisoned alongside Kaplan.
Ankara's "local" underworld had been largely inactive for some time. Due to coordinated police and prosecution efforts, especially organized crime groups originating from Istanbul aimed to extend their reach to Ankara. They carried out a few minor operations but retreated without much success after reactions. Over the past month, there has been notable activity in Ankara's underworld.
Because the criminal groups "Çirkinler" and "Daltonlar" have started issuing threats and shootings in the capital. The prosecution and police recently conducted an operation against the Çirkinler group, resulting in arrests. However, this investigation has not slowed their activities. For security reasons, I prefer not to disclose names, but some businesspeople have started receiving threat messages.
There have even been armed attacks on some businesses in the Çayyolu and Yaşamkent areas. For example, the Çirkinler group sent threatening messages to all employees of a major company via mobile phones, stating "your time is running out," then sent a "black wreath" to the same workplace and carried out a shooting. Police and prosecution are pursuing the case.
Another example involves threats against a leading construction company in Ankara, which led police to provide temporary protection to the firm. Threats have also been received by a holding owned by an important businessperson in Ankara. Complaints have been filed with the prosecution and police. It is understood that most of the threatened businesspeople are close to the AKP.
These developments have gradually been reported to the AKP Headquarters. Meanwhile, security sources indicate that the Daltonlar group has recently started sending threat messages using overseas phone lines. In this context, an important detail: a message reportedly sent on behalf of the Daltonlar group threatened the wife and son of an important politician currently active in politics.
They demanded a "share of the street." The prosecution and police have taken control of the situation. It should also be noted that threats may be carried out using the Daltonlar name for different purposes, made possible by information technology. National and international IT systems undoubtedly facilitate such activities.
Whether the threats and attacks are genuine and whether they truly involve organized crime activities will emerge through investigations. As mentioned at the beginning, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi is holding consecutive meetings to ensure the NATO summit proceeds without issues. Additionally, General Director of Security Ali Fidan came from Ankara Police yesterday.
