Türkiye: Massive anti-terror raids disrupt DHKP-C’s financial web 32 detained in Istanbul

A major operation targeting the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C) has led to the detention of 32 individuals in Istanbul, including municipal employees, over allegations of financing and supporting the terrorist organisation.

The suspects, including municipal employees from Ataşehir, Maltepe, Sarıyer, and Şişli districts, are accused of providing financial support to the organisation between 2014 and 2016, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

The investigation, led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau, uncovered that a committee called the "Needs Committee" (İKOM) was established within the DHKP/C to fulfil the group's needs and provide financial backing.

According to testimony from a suspect who benefited from the repentance law, individuals within İKOM, namely Doğan K. and Yunus B., approached the aforementioned municipalities to request financial aid.

The probe also revealed that Kazova Tekstil, a textile company, was seized by the DHKP/C’s so-called workers' organisation, the Revolutionary Workers Movement (DİH), after its employees were laid off and owed wages. The company participated in tenders held by Sarıyer and Şişli municipalities between 2014 and 2015, where corruption was uncovered.

 Inspectors discovered that Kazova Tekstil received contracts for sweaters and t-shirts that did not meet tender requirements, with purchases made at inflated prices. The distribution of these goods remains unclear, and the tender documents showed irregularities, confirming that funds were channelled to DHKP/C through these municipalities.

The investigation identified a total of 38 suspects connected to the operation, with 2 linked to İKOM, 12 to DİH and Kazova Tekstil, and 24 employees from the municipalities of Ataşehir, Maltepe, Sarıyer, and Şişli.

Former mayors of Ataşehir and Maltepe, who have been called in as witnesses and victims, are also part of the ongoing inquiry.

After detention orders were issued for the suspects, law enforcement officials carried out simultaneous raids across 31 locations in Istanbul, Samsun, Bursa, and İzmir, leading to the arrest of 32 individuals, including former assistant mayors of Ataşehir and Maltepe.

The investigation also revealed that two suspects are abroad, while two others are currently in prison. Furthermore, former Maltepe Mayor Ali Kılıç has been summoned as a "victim," while former Şişli Mayor Hasan Hayri İnönü and former Şişli Deputy Mayor Abdurrahman Emir Sarıgül have been called in as "witnesses."

By Aghakazim Guliyev