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Recently surfaced documents have revealed a curious connection between the chairperson of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, and Aziz İhsan Aktaş, a controversial figure under investigation for alleged involvement in organized crime and corruption within Istanbul municipalities run by the CHP.
According to documents released by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Aktaş is reported to have allocated a luxury armored vehicle for Özel’s use during a 1.5-year period. The vehicle, specially equipped with bomb-resistant features and bearing the license plate 34 AKT 500, was reportedly used by the CHP leader during his trip to southeastern Diyarbakır province.
The revelations, also brought to light by former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) MP Arzu Erdem and veteran journalist Nuray Başaran during a live television broadcast, have raised eyebrows over the nature of the relationship between Özel and Aktaş, particularly as investigations deepen into irregularities at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and several district offices, all under the CHP’s control.
“The documentation is explicit. The license plate, route details and usage timeline all match. This is not a coincidence. The public deserves clarity,” Başaran said.
Erdem echoed the sentiment, urging transparency: “Silence is no longer an option. The CHP chair must come forward and explain his association with Aziz Ihsan Aktaş. This goes beyond protocol; it’s a question of political ethics.”
In response, CHP spokesperson Deniz Yücel flatly denied the allegations, stating that Özel’s official vehicles are registered with the party headquarters and are issued plates by the police department. “Our chair does not use any vehicle outside of the official fleet,” he said, calling the claims “baseless slander.”
Still, the timing of the documents’ release, coinciding with Özel’s recent public comments targeting judiciary figures, has led some to question whether the vehicle arrangement is part of a deeper, undisclosed political entanglement.
Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, identified by the Istanbul prosecutors as a purported leader of a criminal organization, is accused of orchestrating lucrative public contracts in exchange for bribes. His cooperation with prosecutors, through multiple confessions, has triggered investigations that led to the arrest of several CHP-affiliated municipal figures, including mayors and party insiders.
