Istanbul's Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş detained in corruption investigation
The Istanbul Anatolian Public Prosecutor's Office opened a probe into alleged irregularities in building‑permit and occupancy‑certificate processes at the Üsküdar municipality. On 29 July 2026, prosecutors carried out simultaneous raids at 11 addresses in Istanbul, detaining mayor Sinem Dedetaş and five other officials, including the deputy mayor, a municipal adviser and executives of the municipal subsidiary Kent A.Ş.
Investigators allege that Kent A.Ş., which has no authority to issue permits, used an encrypted e‑mail network and colour‑coded Excel tables to direct municipal staff and coordinate the issuance of permits. The subsidiary is accused of signing consultancy contracts worth roughly 1.078 billion Turkish lira with construction firms, from which about 361.4 million lira was collected. The prosecutors say the contracts were used to solicit bribes, with payments funneled to the mayor’s adviser and other officials. Digital material was seized from the suspects’ premises during the operation.
Entities: Istanbul · Istanbul Anatolia Public Prosecutor's Office · Kent A.Ş · Kent A.Ş. · MASAK · Sinem Dedetaş · Üsküdar Municipality
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 20 SOURCES] The Istanbul Anatolia Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into alleged irregularities in building permit and occupancy certificate processes at Üsküdar Municipality. (belongs=true articles)
- [● 20 SOURCES] On 29 July 2026, a coordinated raid at 11 locations in Istanbul resulted in the detention of Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş and five other officials. (belongs=true articles)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Officials, including the mayor, are accused of receiving bribes and using donation protocols to funnel payments to contractors. (belongs=true articles)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Municipal subsidiary Kent A.Ş allegedly coordinated permit approvals via encrypted communications and signed consultancy contracts worth about 1.078 billion Turkish lira with contractors. (belongs=true articles)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Digital material was seized from the suspects' premises during the operation. (belongs=true articles)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Approximately 361.392 million Turkish lira from the consultancy contracts has been collected by the alleged criminal organization. (belongs=true articles)