Bodrum Regional Port President Tuncay Aydın and Port Authority employee Ö.Ç. were detained within the scope of the bribery investigation carried out upon the
Bodrum Regional Port President Tuncay Aydın and Port Authority employee Ö.Ç. were detained within the scope of the bribery investigation carried out upon the complaint of an agency owner. After the operation, the maritime community asked, "Was there a conspiracy against Tuncay Aydın?" The question came to the fore.
However, the latest information published regarding the investigation shows that the incident is not just an anonymous tip or an abstract allegation.
CLAIM OF 12 THOUSAND EUROS FROM THE AGENCY OWNER
According to the information provided by Anadolu Agency and Demirören News Agency, the owner of the agency, T.Ş., claimed that he was asked for 2 thousand euros every time a luxury yacht belonging to a Russian businessman entered Bodrum.
Stating that the yacht entered Turkey six times in the summer season of 2026, the complainant claimed that a total of 12 thousand euros was requested and that he had to accept the payment because there were difficulties in the transactions.
Upon the complaint, a technical and physical follow-up decision was taken by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace upon the instructions of the Bodrum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. According to the news, the complainant entered Tuncay Aydın's office with the money whose serial numbers were determined in advance. After the money was delivered, KOM teams organized an operation.
Meanwhile, Bodrum Regional Port President Tuncay Aydın and Port Authority employee Ö.Ç., who is considered to be connected to the incident. He was detained.
CONFUSION ABOUT 500 THOUSAND TL
A perception was created on social media and in some news that "He was caught red-handed with 500 thousand TL". However, according to the published details, 500 thousand TL is not the serial numbered money delivered in the current operation.
This amount is mentioned in another claim of the complainant regarding the summer of 2025. T.Ş. claimed that he took the bag containing 500 thousand TL, which he took from a boat, to the house of Port Authority employee Ö.Ç. to be delivered to Tuncay Aydın.
Therefore, statements that 500 thousand TL was found in the office or found on Aydın during the current operation are not confirmed by the information disclosed so far.
FOREIGN CURRENCY AND DIGITAL MATERIALS WERE FOUND IN THE SEARCHES
It was reported that a total of 66 thousand 280 euros, 440 pounds sterling, 660 dollars and 52 thousand 200 TL were found in the searches carried out in the suspects' workplaces, homes and vehicles.
In addition, five notepads, eight digital materials, an unlicensed gun and various ammunition and cutting tools, which were considered to be related to allegations of bribery and extortion, were seized.
However, the identity of the money found during the searches, its source and its direct connection with the transactions under investigation have not yet been disclosed to the public. Finding money alone cannot be considered evidence of a crime; The source of the money and its relationship with the transactions subject to accusation must be proven.
"CONSPIRACY" SUSPICION IN THE MARITIME COMMUNITY
After hearing about the operation, it was claimed in some message groups in the maritime community that Aydın may have run counter to the interests of some circles while carrying out his duty and was therefore targeted.
Some industry members stated that Aydın was a self-trained sailor with strong technical knowledge and that he had contributed to various studies on maritime legislation and argued that the outcome of the investigation should be awaited.
While the sailors who expressed their opinions emphasized that everyone should be considered innocent until their guilt is proven by a court decision, they also asked that the possibility that the incident was a conspiracy or fiction should not be excluded in advance.
On the other hand, the information that the operation was carried out as a result of technical and physical monitoring, that money with predetermined serial numbers was used, and that a second person was detained, necessitates a serious investigation of the allegations in the file.
At this stage, the possibility of conspiracy is only an allegation. No documents, records or concrete evidence confirming this possibility have been made public.
A significant part of the messages published on
The detailed defense of Aydin or his lawyers regarding the allegations under investigation was not made public. Therefore, it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion of guilt or conspiracy based solely on social media posts.
Aydın was appointed as Bodrum Regional Port Master with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on February 3, 2023. However, with the same decision, a total of 17 regional port masters were appointed, including Aliağa, Ambarlı, Antalya, Bandırma, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli and Samsun.
According to the CV published by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Aydın is a 2000 graduate of ITU Maritime Faculty, Deck Department and a cruise captain. Aydın, who completed his master's degree at Karadeniz Technical University, has worked as a survey engineer, flag state and port state inspection expert in the maritime administration since 2005.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
