Afət Ziyadqızı
Istanbul prosecutors, coordinating with the Financial Crimes Department of the Istanbul Police, are conducting a large-scale investigation into allegations that Cafer Mahiroğlu, owner of Turkish broadcaster Halk TV, was involved in bribery, illegal interference in public tenders and the laundering of proceeds of crime.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that, according to an official statement from the prosecutor’s office, the investigation has assessed reports submitted by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), witness statements and materials gathered in the case.
Investigators allege that Mahiroğlu used his business connections at Izmir Metropolitan Municipality to establish Bustech Araç Bakım Onarım Hizmetleri A.Ş., appointing people close to him to management positions and setting up schemes to generate illegal income through municipal tenders.
According to the report, unrecorded bribe payments totaling 14 million 464 thousand Turkish lira (TL) were made in connection with the tender processes. The company is alleged to have received inflated payments for municipal contracts that exceeded the contract amounts, with the illegal proceeds transferred to entities linked to Mahiroğlu.
MASAK data show that companies founded, managed or co-owned by Mahiroğlu conducted financial transactions totaling 30 billion 352 million 37 thousand 389 TL. More than 1 billion 62 million lira was deposited into his personal bank accounts in 459 transactions, while 1 billion 118 million lira was withdrawn in 564 transactions.
Prosecutors are also examining large international SWIFT transfers made through accounts belonging to Mahiroğlu’s companies and immediate family members, as well as significant discrepancies between officially declared income and actual assets.
It was also recalled that an arrest warrant had been issued for Mahiroğlu as part of a separate investigation related to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM). He reportedly left Türkiye on March 10, 2025.
Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 17 suspects. In coordinated operations, 11 people—Harika Akkaya, Hasan Özdemir, İbrahim Özdemir, Armağan Küçük, Mustafa Özdemir, Halit Akın, Ali Turan, Mediha Burumoğlu, Murat Koçak, Erkan Yağcı and Süleyman Özendir—were detained. Four suspects—Cafer Mahiroğlu, Hakan Arıcan, Mehmet Necati Yağcı and Sevim Kul—are abroad, one is in prison, and one, Fatih Yadoğlu, is wanted, according to the statement.
A court ordered the seizure of the assets of all companies linked to Mahiroğlu and appointed the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as trustee over those businesses.
