Kuşadası cooperative leaders arrested in Turkey corruption probe

Turkish authorities carried out a joint gendarmerie and police operation on 30 June in the coastal town of Kuşadası, Aydın Province. Four members of the Kuşadası Şoför Esnaf Kefalet Kredi Kooperatifi were detained, including cooperative president Hüsnü Öten, former manager Serpil Veli Aktaş and former secretary Müjgan Altundağ, who were later ordered to prison. A fourth suspect, identified only as B.K., was released under judicial control.

Investigators said the cooperative had demanded undocumented payments from applicants under the guise of “expertise report fees” and “donations.” The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) found suspicious account activity amounting to 11.482 million Turkish lira. The suspects were taken to a health check at Kuşadası State Hospital before being transferred to court, where the court‑appointed judge ordered their detention.

The probe, overseen by the Kuşadası Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, alleges the misuse of cooperative authority for personal gain and money‑laundering violations.