Prosecutors have appointed an independent panel of experts to examine how donations collected by the Ahbap Association following the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes were managed, as a widening investigation into the charity led to further arrests and detentions.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the panel will review financial records, bank transactions and money transfers involving the charity and related individuals and companies to determine whether earthquake donations were used for their intended purposes and in compliance with Turkish law.
The investigation centers on allegations of violating the Associations Law, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. Authorities have frozen the assets of the charity and the suspects while the probe continues.
A second wave of operations resulted in the arrest of four of 12 additional suspects, while prosecutors later issued detention warrants for nine more people, including Babala TV founder and social media personality Oğuzhan Uğur, who was taken into custody after police searched his home. Prosecutors said the latest detainees are expected to be referred to court on July 20.
Earlier this week, singer and Ahbap founder Haluk Levent, along with 13 others, was arrested pending trial. Prosecutors allege that earthquake donations were transferred to personal accounts, misused and, in some cases, spent on gambling. They also claim suspicious property transactions and large financial transfers were identified through reports prepared by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). Levent has denied all allegations.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek described the appointment of the expert panel as “an important step,” saying donations made after the earthquakes represented a public trust that must be thoroughly scrutinized.
According to prosecutors, the experts will examine the collection, transfer and expenditure of donations, as well as banking records and financial links between suspects, to establish whether any misuse occurred.
Levent invoked his right to remain silent during police questioning, arguing that investigators refused to include parts of his statement in the official record. Through posts on X, he said that Ahbap had undergone repeated government audits and insisted the association had operated transparently.
Levent denied misappropriating charitable donations, maintaining that he never used relief funds for personal purposes. While acknowledging that certain administrative irregularities may have occurred, he argued that they did not constitute corruption or embezzlement.
