There is no response to the oppression in the people
The one-man regime continues its attacks on the opposition. As the regime launched a new wave of operations at dawn, a plan it had devised to target the opposition was also foiled. Yesterday morning, an " espionage " investigation was launched in two files, including those involving CHP presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Tele1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ . The lawsuit filed to cancel the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress and the 21st Extraordinary Congress on April 6, 2025, was rejected by the court. The rejection of the dubious congress allegations made by the palace by broad segments of society, the knowledge that the operations were carried out through political maneuvering, and the CHP's unified stance against attacks within the party following the appointment of a trustee to the CHP Istanbul Provincial Administration have dashed the regime's hopes of canceling the congress. With the opening of the espionage investigation, the regime has once again demonstrated that it will not stop its attacks and will not give up using the judiciary to wear down the opposition.
Within the scope of the "espionage" investigation, TELE 1 Editor-in-Chief and journalist Merdan Yanardağ was detained from his home in the morning hours, and Yanardağ's room at the channel and his home were searched.
HUSEYIN GUN AT THE CENTERThe investigation also names Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, and his campaign director, Necati Özkan. The file describes Ekrem İmamoğlu as a "profit-oriented criminal organization."
In a statement titled "Press Note - Operation 1" made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the operation, it was alleged that "election manipulation was carried out in cooperation with foreign intelligence services and the crime of espionage was committed" in the 2019 elections.
The investigation revealed allegations centered on Hüseyin Gün. Gün was arrested on July 4th on charges of espionage. Gün was ordered to be handed over to the Istanbul Police Department.
The statement said, "It was alleged that classified military information, foreign passport photographs, and data regarding organizational connections were detected in the digital materials of the suspect named Hüseyin Gün, who was determined to be an agent for foreign countries. Following these findings, the investigation was expanded, and legal proceedings were initiated against Ekrem İmamoğlu, Necati Özkan, and Merdan Yanardağ on charges of 'espionage' and 'establishing and managing a criminal organization for profit.'"
It was claimed that journalist Merdan Yanardağ had “numerous contacts and correspondences” with Hüseyin Gün.
Today's OneDay
ANNOUNCED ON AIRDuring the program "Sabah Pusulası" (Morning Compass) broadcast on TELE1, host Gökhan Kayış announced the operation live to viewers. Kayış stated, "TEM teams arrived on our channel in the early hours of this morning. The building is currently being searched."
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also released a statement regarding another operation titled "Press Note - Operation 2." The statement, which covered the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's digital applications "Istanbul Senin" and "İBB Hanem," stated that the data of 11 million users had been leaked.
In the statement, it was stated that "simultaneous arrest, detention, search and arrest procedures were carried out against a total of (15) suspects, including 13 suspects who were managers and other officers in 6 different companies, including companies affiliated with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and whose ties to the aforementioned organization managers were detected, and also 2 suspects who were understood to have participated in the acts of issuing fake invoices to the companies of the fugitive organization manager Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, for the crimes of obtaining personal data illegally, violating the tax procedure law and being a member of the Ekrem İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Profit, and all of the suspects were taken into custody."
'THE TRUSTEE CANNOT COME'Following the espionage investigation, the question of whether a trustee will be appointed to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has been rekindled once again. Gül Çiftçi, CHP Deputy Chair of Elections and Party Legal Affairs, stated that the IMM is not under the threat of a trustee. Çiftçi stated that "espionage and terrorism are different types of crimes," and continued, "There is an investigation involving Ekrem İmamoğlu, with whom they have established espionage connections. There is also another investigation into the sale and sharing of data of our citizens living in Istanbul through another application. These are two separate investigations."
I WAS A JOURNALISMMerdan Yanardağ's lawyer, Bilgütay Hakkı Durna, also conveyed Yanardağ's message. Yanardağ, who emphasized his lifelong solidarity with the Palestinian people, read his full statement as follows:
"This is a fifth-class conspiracy. I have stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people my entire life. Those who continue to trade with Israel are operating against us, who are fighting against the Zionist regime. I never intervened in the 2019 election. During that election period, we only worked as journalists and hosted guests. I have never had any relationship with anyone outside of my journalistic activities in my life. This is a poorly planned fifth-class conspiracy against me and Tele1."
Yanardağ said that he did not know Hüseyin Gün, one of the names mentioned in the investigation.
Durna also stated that Yanardağ's detention period is indefinite and that there has been no request for additional time yet.
CONGRESS CASE CANCELLEDThe annulment case against the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress was heard at the Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance following the "espionage" operation.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Onur Yusuf Üregen, was given the first word in the case. Üregen argued that Ekrem İmamoğlu and Özgür Özel "collaborated and rigged the congress." Üregen alleged that money was distributed to encourage voters to vote for Özgür Özel before the congress, adding, "Those who received the money were asked to take photos proving they had voted for Özel, and they were promised tenders." Üregen claimed that the congress should be declared "absolutely null and void," and added, "Any election held until the suspicion surrounding this congress is removed is null and void."
HYPOCRITE AND DISTORTIONFollowing Üregen's speech, CHP lawyer Çağlar Çağlayan requested the dismissal of the case. Üregen, in turn, presented his demands to the court panel, "for Özgür Özel's removal from the board and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's return." CHP lawyer Çağlar Çağlayan, however, characterized Üregen's remarks as, "There's a play on words, distortion, and heroism in his statements, but no rule of law." CHP lawyer Uğur Poyraz's statement, "There's an attempt to pacify the CHP through judges and prosecutors," caused a brief escalation in the courtroom. The judge reacted to Poyraz by saying, "You're implicating us. Go and say this on television."
NO SUBJECT TO ACTIONAnkara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance rejected the lawsuit filed for the cancellation of the CHP 38th Ordinary Congress held on November 4 and 5, 2023, on the grounds of "absence of active hostility" and "being left without a subject" due to the fact that the plaintiff Lütfü Savaş no longer has any ties with the party.
FIRST EVALUATIONCHP officials who followed the case at CHP headquarters expressed their initial assessment following the decision, stating, "This decision has confirmed the legal lack of basis for a lawsuit filed for political purposes from the outset, and the legitimacy of the convention process and the will of our delegates have been reaffirmed." CHP members emphasized that the case should have been rejected from the outset, adding, "It has once again become clear that none of the political manipulations and legal pressures against our party throughout this process have been met with any justification."
CHP officials also shared their views on the position of those deemed "internal opposition" in the new term. CHP members noted that the number of those within the party expecting a negative outcome from the case was far lower than publicly believed, and stated, "This process has further strengthened the party's power. Contrary to the intended perception, the resistance during the case has demonstrated the unity and solidarity within the party."
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THE PURPOSE IS TO SPRAY FEARPoliticians and political parties have reacted to the espionage allegations.
CHP Presidential Candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu: " Even the devil wouldn't dream of such slander, lies, and conspiracies! We are facing a shameful immorality that cannot be described in words. If you failed to convince this beloved nation with accusations of corruption and terrorism, will you convince them with an incomprehensible slander like espionage? Never lose hope: With determination, resolve, and patience, we will continue our fight against this handful of ambitious individuals for the survival of our state and our nation."
CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik: " All conspiracies against the will of our people have collapsed, and new ones are doomed to collapse as well. What is happening is a continuation of the ambition to completely suppress the will of the people, which was the target of the March 19 Coup Attempt, and to establish a Turkey where elections are a sham. Let them know that we will resist without taking a single step back and will never give up the struggle for a fully independent Turkey." Dilek İmamoğlu: "According to recent investigations, it is alleged that Ekrem İmamoğlu also burned Rome. Although we did not live there, we still demand that this matter be thoroughly investigated."
SOL Party: We stand with Merdan Yanardağ and TELE 1, who are being silenced through conspiracy operations. Our headquarters delegation paid a solidarity visit to TELE 1. We stand with independent journalism and a free press!
TKP: The AKP government has no capacity to ensure justice in Turkey. These operations, conducted under the direct direction of the AKP, carry no legitimacy in the public conscience. Merdan Yanardağ must be released immediately.
EMEP President Seyit Aslan: "It's clear that this political operation, aligned with the palace regime's objectives, also aims to instill fear in the opposition. The government is trying to silence the opposition by taking over television channels covering the widespread protests. By including TELE1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ in this operation, they're clearly trying to kill two birds with one stone."
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JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIMEPress organizations and politicians reacted to the detention of TELE1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ and the police raid on the channel. Numerous journalists and citizens also shared messages of solidarity.
DİSK Basın-İş: “The detention of journalists in Turkey is alarming in terms of press freedom and the rule of law. It is a fundamental right for everyone that legal processes be conducted impartially and fairly. It is crucial for the preservation of democratic principles that journalistic activities are not criminalized. It should not be forgotten that a strong democracy is possible with critical thinking and an independent media. Journalism is not a crime!”
TGS : "Merdan Yanardağ cannot be considered a spy, nor can he be considered an agent of true journalism! He must be released immediately. #JournalismIsNotACrime"
Recai Aksu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the European Turkish Journalists Association, said: " The detention of Yanardağ clearly demonstrates the government's oppressive mindset. As ATGB, which has been operating throughout Europe since 2002, we have been calling out to the entire world: 'Journalism is not a crime.' We want everyone to know that journalists in Turkey are not alone. It is unthinkable that we remain silent in an environment where the media in Turkey is under government control and independent and free journalists are silenced."
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HERE IS THE FASCISAN MENTALITYCHP Chairman Özgür Özel made a statement following the dismissal of the lawsuit seeking the annulment of his party's 38th Ordinary Congress and 21st Extraordinary Congress. In his speech, Özel assessed the potential appointment of a trustee to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), stating that such a move would be neither economically nor politically justified. Özel emphasized that the congress case was a process-oriented one, not a results-oriented one. "They said, 'We can't defeat the CHP through political means; let's create chaos.' They tried to make us sick. They tried to infect us. The CHP neither got sick, nor lost power, nor did they accept these infections."
Responding to AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan's accusation of a "fascist mentality," Özel said, "You filed a lawsuit against our congress, against our provincial headquarters. You placed our presidential candidate in Silivri. This is the fascist mentality."
Özel, who also reacted to the "espionage" investigation against Ekrem İmamoğlu, recalled the personal data stolen during Hakan Fidan's tenure as MIT Director and the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding this matter. Özel stated: "All of the Social Security Institution's (SGK) information was stolen. Hakan Fidan was afraid to pursue this matter. This is why Fidan and Kalın are at odds. Hakan Fidan had all of this country's information stolen. They had all of our information stolen, and their lawsuits are being heard."
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BEYLİKDÜZÜ CASE DISMISSEDEkrem İmamoğlu was acquitted from the case in which he was tried for “tender rigging” during his term as Beylikdüzü Mayor.
The final hearing in the case filed against İmamoğlu regarding his tenure as Beylikdüzü Mayor was held yesterday at the Büyükçekmece 10th Criminal Court of First Instance. Following the defense, the court acquitted İmamoğlu.
Following the acquittal, İmamoğlu's Presidential Candidate Office account on X shared the following post: "Neither your conspiracies nor your machinations can divert me from my path! I, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the true son of this land: I will continue to scare you with my existence and my actions..."
The case, filed after the Ministry of Interior filed a criminal complaint in 2022, was filed over a tender related to İmamoğlu's 2015 term as Beylikdüzü Mayor. The lawsuit sought a political ban and a prison sentence of up to seven years for İmamoğlu.
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A MEDAL WAS GIVEN TO THE COMPANYIt was revealed that Kobil Teknoloji AŞ, the company that developed the "Istanbul is Yours" app, which was the basis for the "espionage" allegations against Ekrem İmamoğlu and Necati Özkan, was awarded a medal at the 2025 Teknofest.
Journalist Bahadır Özgür shared past social media posts on his social media account about Kobil Teknoloji AŞ being awarded a bronze medal by Industry and Trade Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır for its "success in the field of data security."
The medal was awarded at Teknofest held in 2025.
Özgür shared the following in his post: "The company's executives and software developers are in custody. The company was awarded a bronze medal by the Minister of Industry and Trade for its 'success in data security' at the Türkpatent ISIF '25 fair held as part of Teknofest on September 20th."
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