Prosecutors have widened their corruption and money laundering probe into the Ahbap Association, a prominent charity founded by singer Haluk Levent. In a second wave of operations, authorities ordered the detention of 17 more suspects.
Authorities said simultaneous raids were carried out in Istanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli and Muğla, targeting 14 suspects and four companies. Three of those facing detention orders were already in prison on unrelated charges, bringing the total number of suspects detained in the case to 39.
Levent was among 22 people detained in the initial operation and remains in police custody pending referral to prosecutors. He faces allegations of misuse of association funds, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization.
Prosecutors linked the latest operation to an allegedly irregular contract awarded for a festival. According to the investigation, Berkant Acil, Levent’s brother, secured the contract through a production company acting as a front, while expenses for stage, lighting and sound equipment were allegedly inflated using fraudulent invoices.
Authorities also allege that part of the donations made to the Ahbap Association was transferred to accounts belonging to Levent’s assistant before approximately 125.8 million Turkish Liras ($2.7 million) was moved to Acil and associated individuals and companies.
A separate report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) identified unusually large banking transactions involving several suspects, with account activity reaching hundreds of millions and, in one case, more than 1.4 billion liras between 2020 and 2024.
Ahbap gained nationwide recognition for coordinating donations after the twin earthquakes that killed more than 53,000 people in Türkiye.
