Justice · Istanbul investigationMurat Hazinedar warrant Turkey: Former mayor vows return as 15 detainedWritten November 14, 2026 at 4:04 PM UTCWatchTranscript0:00Murat Hazendar warrant Turkey.0:01Former mayor Vow's return is fifteen detained.0:07Police took fifteen suspects into custody in Istanbul.0:09Former Biqta, Mayor Murat Hazendar faces a detention order in the same money,0:14laundering investigation.0:15He says he learned about it abroad and will return to Turkey to defend himself.0:19What conduct are investigators attributing to him personally?0:22Police detained fifteen of the seventeen suspects covered by the orders.0:26Two others were still being sought.0:27Those figures became public on November13.0:30With Hazendar identified as one of the people police hadn't located, the orders0:34authorise police custody for investigation.0:36Turkish law calls that G.0:38ZALT.0:38A judge makes a separate decision about holding someone in prison before trial,0:42called Tutuklama.0:44The fifteen detainees' later court outcomes haven't been announced.0:47Estambul prosecutors are investigating suspected criminal organization membership,0:51money laundering, and bribery.0:52Their inquiry reaches companies inside Turkey and abroad.0:55Hazendar previously led B ICTA on Istanbul's European side.1:00And is also a lawyer.1:01Prosecutors say the inquiry began with allegations involving people identified as1:05German citizen KP and MB.1:07They suspect companies handled large sums of unclear origin, diverted money from1:12investment agreements, and made criminal proceeds appear lawful.1:15Complainants allege an eighty million euro contract and a one hundred million euro1:19transfer.1:20They also describe a promise involving a one billion euro fund and a one point five1:24million euro boat sale.1:25Prosecutors are examining those allegations.1:28The financing claim concerns a promise to move the fund abroad through credit using1:32public power and influence.1:33A promise alone doesn't show that money moved.1:36These amounts describe different allegations and can't be added into a loss total.1:40Prosecutors haven't publicly linked any of those amounts to Hazendar personally.1:44Subscribe to this channel to follow Hazendar's promised return and the next steps in1:48the investigation.1:48Hazendar was initially identified by the initials H.1:51M.1:52The other person still saw it was listed as K.1:54Hazendar says police went to his residence that morning, and he denies any1:58commercial relationship with lawmaker Mustafa Sar G.2:00L.2:01Allegations concerning Sar G.2:03L.2:03were sent to Ankara prosecutors for separate consideration.2:06Hazendar's own response focuses on the legal and political associations, drawing him2:10into public discussion.2:11He says he has no commercial partnership or benefit, sharing arrangement with Sar G.2:15L., his family or their companies.2:17Hazendar pledged, I will return to my country.2:19In his written statement, he said he'd learned of the order while abroad.2:22He said he didn't yet know the substance of the accusations against him and would2:26return to answer them.2:27His first response also denied that he was Tsar G.2:30L.'s lawyer.2:31His fuller explanation acknowledged a specific earlier relationship, representing2:34Sar G.2:35L.2:35Z.2:35L.2:36alongside other party members in litigation over their expulsion from the Republican2:40People's Party or CHP in2005.2:42Hazendar says that representation ended with those proceedings.2:46He denies an ongoing legal role for Sar G.2:48L., his family, their companies, or Ailee municipality.2:51He also says he hasn't met Sar G.2:53L.2:53for eight years.2:54Hazendar disputes the claim that Sar J.2:56L.2:56installed him as mayor.2:57He says CHP executive bodies chose his two thousand and fourteen candidacy after3:01vetoing another proposed candidate.3:03He acknowledges Sar G.L.3:05may have influenced the nomination, but denies running the municipality on his3:08behalf or providing him commercial advantages.3:11Hazendar describes his mayoral tenure as three years and nine months.3:14He says his municipal decisions served the public interest.3:17His defense separates his past political association with Sar A.3:21Eil from the financial wrongdoing investigators are examining.3:24He also points to earlier cases.3:25Hazendar says he faced about four hundred preliminary inquiries and investigations,3:29and that official examinations found no criminal personal enrichment.3:32He says he was acquitted in a case involving alleged assistance to FAT.3:36He also says a separate prosecution ended in acquittals in two thousand and twenty3:40four unorganized crime, bribery, and extortion allegations, after about five months3:45in custody.3:45The current group of fifteen remains a separate stage of the investigation.3:49Prosecutors can seek further investigative custody or ask a judge for pretrial3:53imprisonment.3:53Suspects can also be released.3:55Police detention itself doesn't determine criminal responsibility.3:58By November14, Hazendar hadn't announced a definite return date, and there was no4:03confirmation he'd returned or been detained.4:05His detention order remains outstanding.4:07Investigators haven't publicly explained which specific acts or transactions they4:11attribute to him personally.Read the articleStory timelineHeyDex
