Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner Detained at Esenboğa

The development hit Turkey's agenda like a bombshell after a detention order was issued for Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner and a total of 36 suspects, including some bureaucrats, as part of a large-scale operation coordinated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The operation started with simultaneous raids conducted by the Financial Crimes Department teams at the municipal building and Güner's house in the early hours of the morning. The suspects were charged with very serious crimes such as 'Establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime', 'Membership in a criminal organization', 'Bribery' and 'Rigging a tender'. Security forces took extensive security measures around the municipal building where searches were ongoing, completely closing entrances for civilians and employees. It was reported that detailed searches were conducted inside the building by the teams and numerous documents and digital materials were seized.

In the official statement made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was emphasized that the investigation was continuing meticulously and comprehensively, and it was shared that 27 suspects had been detained so far. It was learned that police teams were continuing their efforts to apprehend 7 suspects, including Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, and that Güner was being held at the airport since he was not in Ankara at the time of the operation. In the statement made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated that there were finalized detention orders for 36 suspects and that extensive coordination was being carried out to apprehend the other suspects and hand them over to justice as soon as possible. These developments caused a major shock in Çankaya, one of the largest and most central districts of Ankara. It was stated that the digital and physical evidence obtained within the scope of the investigation would be examined in detail by the prosecutor's office and the process would be shared with the public step by step.

Making a statement on his social media account in the first moments of the operation, Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner transparently shared information regarding the situation. Güner stated that he was aware of the searches conducted at the municipal building and his own home in the morning hours, and that he would return to Ankara in a planned manner within a few hours, adding that he had notified all relevant authorities about the situation. Güner, who stated that he handed over his spare keys to the police teams who came to search his house and warned all his colleagues to assist the security forces, argued that they had managed the institution in the best way possible since the day they took office. Emphasizing that they did not have the slightest behavior that would embarrass anyone who trusted them, Güner added that they would make more comprehensive statements to the public once the details of the investigation became clear. This statement also brought about discussions on whether the operation was a political conspiracy or a real corruption investigation.

Making a statement to the press members in front of the municipality during the operation, Çankaya Deputy Mayor Anıl Çetin claimed that the prosecutors and police teams who entered inside were not allowed to be accompanied by the lawyers of the municipality's legal affairs directorate. Çetin claimed that only 4 security guards of the municipality accompanied the teams, but even the copies of the computers, digital data, and important files taken from the buildings were not handed over to the municipal authorities. Çetin, arguing that the Çankaya Municipality is regularly and meticulously audited every year by the Court of Accounts and, when necessary, by civil inspectors, and that all reports are published transparently on their websites, stated that this operation surprised them. In addition, he announced that out of the 36 people for whom a detention order was issued, 23 were municipal employees and the remaining 13 were external individuals affiliated with different institutions or companies. Çetin's words also revealed that the scope of the investigation was not just an internal municipal matter.

While the political repercussions of the incident grew rapidly, CHP Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Müslim Sarı made an important statement on the matter, clarifying his party's stance. Sarı criticized the situation, claiming that yet another pressure and operation targeting Republican People's Party municipalities by the ruling party in recent periods was carried out against the Çankaya Municipality. He emphasized that as a requirement of the rule of law, judicial processes should be conducted in a fair and highly transparent manner, away from political debates and taking into account the presumption of innocence. He stated that, in order for the truth to be revealed in all aspects, justice to be fully served, and the supremacy of law to be recorded, they would follow the process closely and step by step as a party. While these statements were being made, it was reported that Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, who arrived in Ankara hours after the operation started, was officially detained by police teams at Esenboğa Airport and taken to the police station for interrogation.