Political pressure and operations against the opposition continue unabated. Police operations were carried out this morning in connection with two cases.
As part of a newly launched ‘espionage’ investigation, TELE 1 Editor-in-Chief and journalist Merdan Yanardağ was detained at his home. While a search was conducted at his home, Yanardağ’s office at the channel was also searched.
The investigation also involves the detained İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and İmamoğlu’s election campaign director Necati Özkan. The case file uses the term ‘Ekrem İmamoğlu criminal organisation for profit.’
In a statement titled ‘Press Note – Operation 1’ issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the operation, it was alleged that ‘in the 2019 elections, activities were carried out in collusion with foreign intelligence services to manipulate the elections, and the crime of espionage was committed.’
The statement noted that a letter had been sent to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Çağlayan requesting the presence of CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu and his advisor Necati Özkan, who were arrested in the 19 March operation, for questioning on charges of “espionage”.
CASE BUILT AROUND HÜSEYİN GÜN
It was seen that the allegations in the investigation were built around the name Hüseyin Gün. Gün had been arrested on 4 July on charges of ‘espionage’. Gün was also requested to be handed over to the İstanbul Security Directorate.
The statement said, “It is alleged that the digital materials of the suspect named Hüseyin Gün, who was determined to be acting as an agent for foreign countries, contained classified military information, foreign passport photographs and data related to organisational connections. Following these findings, the investigation was expanded, and proceedings were initiated against Ekrem İmamoğlu, Necati Özkan, and Merdan Yanardağ on charges of “espionage” and “establishing and managing a criminal organisation for profit”.
The file alleges that Hüseyin Gün “financed internal unrest in various countries,’ and that ‘photographs of military ammunition and weapons that could not have been obtained by civilians or companies, as well as passport photographs of Israeli citizens understood to be active in the military or political sphere in Israel, were found.’ Communication links were found between the GSM lines of individuals subject to legal proceedings under the FETÖ/PDY Armed Terrorist Organisation and individuals subject to legal proceedings under the PKK/KCK Armed Terrorist Organisation, and numerous communication links with consular officials in different countries were identified.”
PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE: THE ORGANISATION’S GOAL IS THE PRESIDENCY
The Prosecutor’s Office defined İmamoğlu’s political activities as the ‘Ekrem İmamoğlu criminal organisation,’ stating that “the main goal of the Ekrem İmamoğlu criminal organisation is to obtain financial gain and create funds for the presidential candidacy of the organisation’s leader, Ekrem İmamoğlu, that the criminal organisation managers, suspects Hüseyin Gün and Necati Özkan, collaborated in the 2019 Local Election Campaign in line with this objective and acted accordingly, particularly by leaking confidential information about voters, analysing electoral districts to determine voter profiles and establishing strategies, while carrying out this work, voter information was shared with foreign intelligence services and the action was within the scope of espionage activities, and it was also understood that the suspect Hüseyin Gün had contact and joint meetings with Ekrem İmamoğlu, the founder of the criminal organisation and another suspect.”
It was also alleged that journalist Merdan Yanardağ had ‘numerous contacts and correspondence’ with Hüseyin Gün.
OPERATION ANNOUNCED LIVE ON AIR
During the programme ‘Sabah Pusulası’ broadcast on TELE1, presenter Gökhan Kayış announced the operation to viewers live on air.
Kayış said, ‘Early this morning, TEM teams came to our channel. A search is currently being conducted in the building.’
FIRST STATEMENT FROM YANARDAĞ’S LAWYER
Following the arrest of journalist Merdan Yanardağ, his lawyer Bilgütay Hakkı Durna made a statement on TELE1. In his statement, Durna said, ‘People are being imprisoned on serious allegations without legal evidence.’
According to Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Durna’s full statement was as follows:
“We have not yet seen the files and documents regarding the legal aspects. I have received the prosecutor’s press release. Unfortunately, in our country, people make serious allegations without providing evidence, and people are deprived of their freedom. I will go to the police and try to access the file. It is impossible to question Merdan Yanardağ’s patriotic identity. In our country, people try to prove that something is a crime. After the search, I spoke with his family. Ultimately, since his family is a strong family like Mr. Merdan, there was no surprise. Ultimately, this possibility exists because of Mr Merdan’s work. Their morale is good, and we will proceed with the process together in an orderly manner.‘
INVESTIGATION INTO İBB: 15 DETENTIONS
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office also issued a statement regarding another operation under the title ’Press Note – Operation 2″.
The statement regarding this operation, which covers the İBB’s digital applications ‘İstanbul Senin’ and ‘İBB Hanem,’ included the following statements:
“Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Organised Crime Investigation Bureau of our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into the activities and actions of Ekrem İMAMOĞLU’s Criminal Organisation for Profit;
‘The personal data and location information of 4.7 million users of the application named ’İSTANBUL SENİN‘ was leaked to two different foreign countries, the personal data and location information of 3.7 million users of the application was put up for sale on the ’dark web‘, and within the same application, the sub-application named ’İBB HANEM” sub-application within the same application, were processed and leaked outside the programme. The investigation identified 13 suspects, including managers and other officials from six separate companies, including managers and relevant İBB affiliate companies, who were found to have links to the aforementioned organisation’s managers, as well as the fugitive organisation manager Murat GÜLİBRAHİMOĞLU , who is a fugitive organisation leader, and two suspects who are understood to have participated in issuing fake invoices to his companies, totalling 15 suspects, have been arrested today at 06: 00 today, simultaneous arrest, detention, search and seizure procedures were carried out, and all suspects were taken into custody. This is announced to the public.”
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled “Casusluk” operasyonu: Merdan Yanardağ gözaltına alındı; dosyada İmamoğlu’nun adı da var, published in BirGün newspaper on October 24, 2025.
