A widening corruption probe into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has taken a dramatic turn as prominent businessperson Ahmet Sari, owner of Sarılar Inşaat, confessed to paying over TL 232 million in bribes to collect nearly TL 3 billion in unpaid municipal debts.
Sari, who was previously detained, was released after becoming a key informant in the investigation.
According to his May 27 testimony to the prosecutor’s office, Sari detailed how a bribery network allegedly functioned within the municipality from 2019 to 2024. He said his company faced significant difficulties securing payments for completed infrastructure projects under the administration of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Sari emphasized that despite legal efforts, some receivables could not be recovered through formal channels, prompting illicit payments.
The businessperson named two central figures in the scheme: Ertan Yıldız, who served as deputy secretary general of IBB and Fatih Keleş, the former head of the CHP Istanbul provincial organization. Sari alleged that the two demanded bribes in exchange for facilitating payments owed to his company.
Sari said he was first invited to the municipality’s auxiliary building in Bakırköy in late 2022, where he was informed by Yıldız and Keleş that he would not receive any money unless he paid them first. He claimed to have delivered portions of the money to Bakırköy and the majority to the former mayoral residence in Florya. The cash was received by individuals identified as Zafer Keleş (Fatih Keleş’s brother) and a man named Murat, reportedly a relative of Keleş.
Payments to Ertan Yıldız were allegedly collected via company visits by drivers whose identities were communicated by a municipal affiliate, Ziya Gökmen Togay.
In his sworn statement, Sari provided a detailed account of the payments, stating he paid Yıldız TL 63 million across various dates from 2022 to 2024. He also listed payments totaling TL 169.5 million to Fatih Keleş during the same period. Sari said he would submit receipts to support his claims.
Notably, Sari said he was instructed never to involve municipal department heads in these dealings. In early 2024, he was told that no more payments should be made to Yıldız, suggesting a shift within the alleged network.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigation as public scrutiny over municipal finances intensifies ahead of further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Imamoğlu, currently in detention on separate charges, has not been directly implicated in the bribery claims made by Sari but remains a central figure in the broader investigation.
This latest testimony underscores growing concerns over governance and transparency within Türkiye's largest municipality, once considered a stronghold of opposition leadership.
