In a high-profile corruption trial, Didem Bozbura, the mother of renowned food influencer Burak Özdemir, widely known as CZN Burak, has been found guilty and sentenced to over 2.5 years in prison.
Bozbura, along with two other defendants, stood trial for their alleged involvement in selling state equipment, intended for free use in surgeries and treatments at public hospitals, to patients.
The charges against Bozbura and her co-defendants revolve around accusations of charging patients exorbitant fees for medical procedures that should have been provided free of charge to individuals with social security benefits.
The case originated when Assoc. Dr. Metin Keskin from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, filed a complaint on Feb. 7, 2020. The complaint alleged that Hatice Sözanlar, a patient previously hospitalized for stomach cancer at Istanbul Medical Faculty in Çapa, had been subjected to unlawful charges by Yasin Şimşek.
Didem Bozbura, who had been detained, was released on Feb. 27, 2020, under the condition that she could not leave the country and must report to the nearest police station.
While Mazhar Alp Bozbura and Yasin Şimşek were released on April 11, 2020, due to regulatory provisions regarding the duration of pretrial detention. They were placed under judicial control, requiring them to regularly report to authorities.
