Nothing remotely quiet on ’the Western front’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 19, 2009 00:00
İZMİR - Police investigations into municipalities continue in İzmir, with no sign of stopping. So far, five municipalities are hit by operations led by Prosecutor Murat Gök, who previously had discovered corruption and bribery cases, resulting in the arrest of 400 people. Gök warns that this is only the beginning and there are more to come
Led by just one man, specialized police clean-up operations have swept through Izmir's municipalities for the last two years, with no sign of stopping.
The clean-up operations have hit five municipalities, two of which are run by the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, with three run by the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. As result of operations conducted by Republic Prosecutor with Special Authority Murat Gök, one AKP mayor and three CHP mayors were arrested.
Prosecutor Gök, who is known for his child-abuse discovery operation in a children village in Urla in 2003, has special authority since the annullment of the State Security Courts. Gök can make his own decisions and does not need any additional permission for his operations. For the last two years, Gök has organized 12 operations in İzmir, Manisa, Muğla, Denizli and Çanakkale. He has discovered corruption and bribery in some municipalities, which concluded with arrest of 400 people including a police chief, a judge and a gendarmerie commander.
Gök’s first operation named, "Whirlwind" started in Urla Municipality in 2007. Urla Mayor Selçuk Karaosmanoğlu from the CHP and six municipality officials were arrested. Karaosmanoğlu was released by the court after eight months in jail. He is shown as the CHP mayoral candidate for Urla for the local elections on March 29.
Corruption charges
Municipality Mayor Mustafa Karagülmez from the AKP and the Gendarmerie District Commander were arrested on the charge of corruption and bribery during the Buca Kaynaklar Municipality operation in July 2008.
In January of 2008, Gök targeted Güzelbahçe Municipality. Güzelbahçe Mayor Ertan Avkıran, Degirmendere Mayor Necati Şemsettin Eren and 39 people were arrested on the charge of organizing a gang. In the operation, police raided around 60 houses and took some 50 people, including Mayor Avkıran’s daughter and son, into custody.
An operation also hit Buca Municipality. Around 29 people, including Buca Mayor Cemil Şeboy and member of the municipality council, were arrested. In the operation named "Beehive," the court released Şeboy and 15 people before the trial.
Giving the signal that these operations will continue, Gök’s latest target was Alacatı Municipality. Police raided around 100 houses in Alaçatı in the operation named "Mousetrap."
Alaçatı Mayor Muhittin Dalgıç from the CHP, who is also the candidate for the upcoming local elections, and around 60 people including some professors and former Alaçatı mayor, Remzi Özen, were taken into custody. Mayor Dalgıç and six people were arrested by the court.
’These are foreshocks’
Talking to a local newspaper, Gök said that these operations were foreshocks. Stating that operations to public institutions would continue, Gök said, "If I describe the operations in terms of earthquakes, I would say that these are just foreshocks. We have collapsed gangs. It is time to discover corruptions."
The clean-up operations have hit five municipalities, two of which are run by the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, with three run by the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. As result of operations conducted by Republic Prosecutor with Special Authority Murat Gök, one AKP mayor and three CHP mayors were arrested.
Prosecutor Gök, who is known for his child-abuse discovery operation in a children village in Urla in 2003, has special authority since the annullment of the State Security Courts. Gök can make his own decisions and does not need any additional permission for his operations. For the last two years, Gök has organized 12 operations in İzmir, Manisa, Muğla, Denizli and Çanakkale. He has discovered corruption and bribery in some municipalities, which concluded with arrest of 400 people including a police chief, a judge and a gendarmerie commander.
Gök’s first operation named, "Whirlwind" started in Urla Municipality in 2007. Urla Mayor Selçuk Karaosmanoğlu from the CHP and six municipality officials were arrested. Karaosmanoğlu was released by the court after eight months in jail. He is shown as the CHP mayoral candidate for Urla for the local elections on March 29.
Corruption charges
Municipality Mayor Mustafa Karagülmez from the AKP and the Gendarmerie District Commander were arrested on the charge of corruption and bribery during the Buca Kaynaklar Municipality operation in July 2008.
In January of 2008, Gök targeted Güzelbahçe Municipality. Güzelbahçe Mayor Ertan Avkıran, Degirmendere Mayor Necati Şemsettin Eren and 39 people were arrested on the charge of organizing a gang. In the operation, police raided around 60 houses and took some 50 people, including Mayor Avkıran’s daughter and son, into custody.
An operation also hit Buca Municipality. Around 29 people, including Buca Mayor Cemil Şeboy and member of the municipality council, were arrested. In the operation named "Beehive," the court released Şeboy and 15 people before the trial.
Giving the signal that these operations will continue, Gök’s latest target was Alacatı Municipality. Police raided around 100 houses in Alaçatı in the operation named "Mousetrap."
Alaçatı Mayor Muhittin Dalgıç from the CHP, who is also the candidate for the upcoming local elections, and around 60 people including some professors and former Alaçatı mayor, Remzi Özen, were taken into custody. Mayor Dalgıç and six people were arrested by the court.
’These are foreshocks’
Talking to a local newspaper, Gök said that these operations were foreshocks. Stating that operations to public institutions would continue, Gök said, "If I describe the operations in terms of earthquakes, I would say that these are just foreshocks. We have collapsed gangs. It is time to discover corruptions."