Release Requests and Decisions Highlighted in İBB Corruption Trial

In the corruption trial against İBB, the prosecution requested the release of five defendants, and the court panel reviewed this application. After the recess, release decisions were made for nine individuals.

Scraper SystemJune 18, 2026, 07:18 PM

Release Requests and Decisions Highlighted in İBB Corruption Trial

The corruption investigation targeting Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was suspended and arrested from his position as Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was completed, and an indictment of 3,809 pages was prepared on November 11, 2025.

In the indictment, Ekrem İmamoğlu, named as the 'Organization Leader,' is accused of crimes including 'Establishing an organization to commit a crime,' 'Bribery,' 'Money laundering of criminal proceeds,' 'Fraud to the detriment of public institutions,' 'Recording personal data,' 'Obtaining and disseminating personal data,' 'Concealing evidence of crime,' 'Obstructing communication,' 'Damaging public property,' 'Receiving bribes,' 'Publicly spreading misleading information,' 'Embezzlement,'

'Money laundering of assets derived from crime,' 'Bid rigging,' 'Deliberate pollution of the environment,' 'Violation of tax procedure law,' 'Violation of forest law,' and 'Violation of mining law.' İmamoğlu faces imprisonment ranging from 828 years and 2 months up to 2,352 years for 142 acts.

42 DEFENDANTS RELEASED SINCE THE FIRST HEARING In recent sessions, the court panel ordered the release of defendants including İBB Private Secretary Kadriye Kasapoğlu, driver Sırrı Küçük of Özgür Karabat, tree worker Fatih Yağcı, businesspeople Ali Üner, Evren Şirolu, Ebubekir Akın, İSPER staff member Davut Bildik, Altan Ertürk, Hüseyin Yurttaş, driver Kadir Öztürk of Murat Ongun, Mustafa Bostancı, driver Sabri Caner Kırca of Kadriye Kasapoğlu, Baran Gönül, Mahir Gün, Esra Huri Bulduk, Şehide Zehra Keleş Yüksel, Başak Tatlı, municipal officer Nazan Başelli, İBB data specialist İsmet Korkmaz, İBB software coordinator Emrah Yüksel, İBB computer engineer Mehmet Çağlar Kuru, İBB city planner Nuri Cem Ceylan, İBB social media consultant Ulaş Yılmaz, advertiser Yusuf Utku Şahin, İmamoğlu's bodyguard Çağlar Türkmen, businessman Adem Soytekin, Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney's private secretary Seyhan Özcan, advertiser Esma Bayrak, Fatih Keleş's nephew Murat Keleş, İBB expropriation manager Fatih Özçelik, İnan Güney's brother-in-law İsmail Akkaya who is detained in the Beyoğlu case, businessman Harun Cengiz Beğenmez, businessman Mehmet Kaya, Iraz Bayrak, Orhan Gazi Erdoğan, Engin Ulusoy, Mustafa Keleş, Gökhan Köseoğlu, Seza Büyükçulha, Ahmet Şahin, Cevat Kaya, and Hakan Aplak.

Follow our news on Google To instantly access the latest news and breaking developments, add us to your favorites and select us as your preferred source on Google. 'THE ONLY EVIDENCE PRESENTED IS HTS RECORDS' İBB Director of Zoning and Urban Planning Ramazan Gülten stated in his defense that the accusation is not based on any concrete act but rather on portraying his fully lawful conduct as a crime.

Indeed, my name does not appear in the complainant statements or in the testimonies given under effective remorse. The secret witness Ladin, whose statement is not even included in the indictment, mentions my name. Expert examination has shown that this statement is baseless. My name does not appear in any complainant or witness statements regarding the embezzlement charge under effective remorse.

The unit that prepared the zoning plan in question is not the Zoning Directorate but another department. At the time the zoning plan was prepared and sent to the Assembly, I was serving as the Zoning Branch Manager; however, the Zoning Branch Directorate does not have the authority to prepare zoning plans or submit them to the Assembly. It is alleged that I received instructions from the so-called organization leader.

I have no contact with Fatih Keleş. The investigation authorities have not produced a single communication record to support this claim. The allegations supporting the organization membership are merely the duties and procedures required by my five years as Zoning Director and one year as Director of Zoning and Urban Planning.

The alleged matters are nothing more than administrative activities within my duties and professional contacts naturally arising from my public service. The only evidence presented is HTS records. However, these records alone cannot constitute a basis for any criminal accusation. Moreover, the people I communicated with are public officials with whom I have had professional relations for a long time.

There is nothing more natural than communicating with colleagues to ensure uninterrupted public services. There is not a single communication record between Fatih Keleş and me. While many conversations are presented as evidence of organizational relations, the absence of any communication record with the person I am allegedly hierarchically subordinate to clearly reveals the contradiction in the accusation, he said.

'NEXT SUNDAY IS MY FIRST FATHER'S DAY' Gülten said, I learned that my daughter was born 10 hours after her birth in the lawyer's meeting room. The following week, fortunately, was open visitation week. We were able to meet my one-week-old daughter for one hour. We even had to struggle to bring in her baby bottle. Today, our daughter Maya is 11 months old. I missed many firsts; they are countless.

I first heard her say 'Dad' in the courtroom through my wife's report. Next Sunday is our first Father's Day. Next are her first birthday, first steps, and many more firsts. Today, in this deprivation, the only thing I could do was to gift my daughter two storybooks. Inspired by the baby birds I watched grow in my cell's courtyard, I narrated the journey she made to announce her arrival in my first storybook.

Actually, these two books are about a father's longing, a mother's sacrifice, and a family's effort to hold on to each other. My wife, who overcomes every hardship, illustrated these storybooks. We had to turn the memories we couldn't live together into stories so they wouldn't be forgotten, he said. RELEASE REQUESTS FOR 5 DEFENDANTS In the prosecution's interim opinion, the release of former Media A.Ş General Manager Elif İpek Atayman, advertiser Hasan Yalaz, Culture A.Ş Deputy General Manager Erdinç Çolak, advertiser Alper Aydın, and advertiser Yunus Göçer was requested. The court adjourned to evaluate the release requests. RELEASE DECISION FOR 9 INDIVIDUALS After the recess, the court panel announced its decision to release former Media A.Ş General Manager Elif İpek Atayman, advertiser Hasan Yalaz, Culture A.Ş Deputy General Manager Erdinç Çolak, advertiser Alper Aydın, advertiser Yunus Göçer, businessman Ahmet Güllü, İBB Head of Neighborhoods Department Yavuz Saltık, İBB Deputy Director of Public Relations Mustafa Karaoğlu, and former Head of Tender and Procurement at İBB Culture A.Ş Halit Burak Atalan. 'CONTINUING THE FIGHT' Ekrem İmamoğlu said after the decision, Be stronger, much stronger. The fight continues. I love you all very much. Don't Miss It The 52nd hearing in the corruption trial against İBB was postponed View the news.

Release Requests and Decisions Highlighted in İBB Corruption Trial