Indictment prepared against Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı after 13 months

An indictment has been prepared against Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı and others, concluding a 13-month investigation into allegations of "forming a criminal organization," "extortion," "bribery," and "bid rigging." The Istanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office completed the investigation, which claims Kabadayı led an "organized crime group for profit."

The indictment alleges that Kabadayı established a unique structure after being elected mayor in March 2024. The prosecution claims his objective was to create funds for use in future elections, leveraging the municipality's public authority. The organization is accused of committing the alleged crimes in 21 separate incidents within Şile.

Prosecutors are seeking a combined prison sentence ranging from 33 years and 3 months to a maximum of 92 years for Kabadayı. The charges include "coerced extortion," "forgery of official documents," "fraud by traders or company managers during commercial activities, and fraud by cooperative managers within the scope of the cooperative's activities," "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations," "receiving bribes," and "forming a criminal organization."

The indictment has been accepted by the Anadolu 27th High Criminal Court, setting the stage for a trial.