World · Middle East · 15 hrs ago
Cash and foreign currency found in apartment linked to Esenyurt probe
Investigators found two safes of cash in an empty apartment in Istanbul’s Küçükçekmece district during a corruption probe into Esenyurt Municipality.
The apartment was linked to Yusuf Ulutaş, an Esenyurt deputy mayor who has been arrested in the investigation.
Park and Gardens Director İbrahim Doğancıoğlu told prosecutors he rented the apartment under a friend’s name and placed the safes there at Ulutaş’s request.
Police opened the safes and reported finding about $7 million and roughly €390,000; one account gave a slightly different euro total.
Ulutaş’s mother and cousin arrived with empty suitcases and keys while officers were at the apartment, and both were detained.
Doğancıoğlu was also arrested, and nine people have been arrested in the wider investigation.
The investigation is continuing, and former lawmaker Şamil Tayyar said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refused a request to intervene for Ulutaş.
Authorities found two steel safes containing large amounts of foreign currency in an empty apartment in Küçükçekmece during an investigation into Esenyurt Municipality.
The apartment had been rented in a friend’s name by municipal official İbrahim Doğancıoğlu, who said he acted on instructions from deputy mayor Yusuf Ulutaş.
Officials said the safes held 7,016,125 US dollars and 390,670 euros; another report gave rounded figures of 7 million dollars and 400,000 euros.
Ulutaş’s mother and cousin were detained after arriving at the apartment with empty suitcases and keys to the safes.
- Who
- Esenyurt municipal deputy mayor Yusuf Ulutaş and municipal department head İbrahim Doğancıoğlu are central to the investigation. Ulutaş’s mother and cousin were also detained.
- What
- Police found two safes containing large amounts of US dollars and euros in an empty apartment.
- When
- The reports were published on October 16 and 17, 2026. The date of the search is not stated.
- Where
- A rented apartment in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul.
- Why
- Investigators were examining alleged bribery involving Esenyurt Municipality and believed the apartment may have been used to store money.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Doğancıoğlu said he rented an apartment in Küçükçekmece in a friend’s name and placed two safes there on Ulutaş’s instructions.
Authorities searched the empty apartment and found two black steel safes.
Ulutaş’s mother Ayşe Ulutaş and cousin Mustafa Zahit Seval arrived with two empty suitcases and were detained.
Authorities reported finding US dollars and euros; Sabah reported 7,016,125 dollars and 390,670 euros.
- Apartment
- Küçükçekmece, Istanbul
- Safes
- Two black steel safes
- Reported cash
- 7,016,125 US dollars and 390,670 euros, according to Sabah
- Rounded cash figures
- 7 million US dollars and 400,000 euros, according to Haber 7
- Detained on arrival
- Ayşe Ulutaş and Mustafa Zahit Seval
5 sources
What people are saying
Yusuf Ulutaş called me over and said he wanted to rent a house somewhere near his residence, that it should not be rented in his own name or mine, but in someone else’s name, and that I should also buy a safe and put it in this house.
Our president told one of the influential people who intervened for Esenyurt Deputy Mayor Yusuf Ulutaş, “do not get involved in this matter,” and dismissed it.