Turkish Celebrities' Million‑Lira Donations to AHBAP Charity Under MASAK Probe

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal investigation, labeling the Ahbap Derneği as a possible "Ahbaplar Crime Organization." A Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report examined high‑value transfers made to the charity after the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. More than a dozen well‑known singers, actors and businesspeople donated amounts ranging from 200 000 TL to 1 million TL, including Ajda Pekkan, Barış Arduç, Ebru Şahin, Tarkan Tevetoğlu (via Hitt Müzik) and Sibel Can, each contributing one million lira. Additional contributions came from Nevzat Aydın (1 million TL plus a 750 983 TL second transfer), Tolga Çevik (997 650 TL), Ali Atay (562 386 TL) and many others.

The investigation does not allege wrongdoing by the donors; instead it focuses on whether the funds were used for the stated disaster‑relief purposes. Prosecutors are reviewing bank records, accounting entries and expense documents to determine if the money reached the intended recipients or was diverted. If misuse is found, donors could be classified as victims or harmed parties rather than suspects.