Turkish singer and philanthropist Haluk Levent has been detained amid a financial misconduct investigation into Ahbap Association, the charity he founded in 2017 that later led major relief efforts following the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes.
Prosecutors said Levent is under investigation on allegations including violating Türkiye’s associations law, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. The investigation is ongoing and no court has ruled on the allegations.
The probe stems from alleged financial irregularities within Ahbap. Police detained 20 suspects, including lawyer Ece Güner, and seized digital devices, cash, gold, checks, promissory notes and other documents.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, investigators allege that Levent used multiple bank accounts, including one registered in the name of his assistant, Yeliz K., through which approximately 120 million Turkish Liras ($2.5 million) was transferred from the charity. Prosecutors also claim Levent wagered about 990 million liras on betting platforms between 2020 and 2026, losing around 390 million liras.
The prosecutor’s office further alleged that donations collected for victims of the 2023 earthquakes were diverted into personal accounts, used for gambling or transferred to third parties. It also claimed that a separate investigation found individuals had obtained real estate from victims by invoking Ahbap’s name and promises of charitable assistance. Some of those properties were allegedly transferred through third parties, creating losses estimated at around $60 million.
Prosecutors also argued there are strong indications that charity accounts were emptied through financial instruments and transfers to personal accounts. Ahbap reportedly raised about $158 million in donations following the earthquakes and investigators allege that some planned housing projects remain unfinished more than three years after the disaster.
In previous public statements addressing scrutiny of the charity’s finances, Levent said Ahbap had undergone audits and pledged to step down as chairman after ongoing projects were completed and another inspection had been successfully concluded. He said the decision was intended to prevent public distrust of the organization’s work while continuing to support Ahbap as a volunteer.
The latest investigation comes weeks after Levent was convicted in a separate case involving allegations of issuing dishonored checks. A court imposed a judicial fine of approximately 70 million liras and barred him from issuing new checks or opening new check accounts.
