Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was detained in a municipal permits investigation, prompting legal rights calls from TMMOB and ITU GIMDER.
Sinem Dedetaş detained: Legal call from GMO and ITU GIMDER
Following the detention of Üsküdar Mayor, shipbuilding engineer, and former General Manager of City Lines, Sinem Dedetaş, the Chamber of Ship Engineers of TMMOB and ITU GIMDER issued a statement. Both organizations called for the protection of the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, and the presumption of innocence.
Sinem Dedetaş was detained on the morning of July 29, 2026, as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Special Investigation Bureau regarding the building and housing permit processes at Üsküdar Municipality and its subsidiary Kent AŞ.
Simultaneous searches, seizures, and detentions were carried out at 11 addresses in Istanbul. Along with Dedetaş, a total of six people were detained, including Deputy Mayor Ceyhun Ünlü, Chief of Staff Alihan Koçoğlu, architect Burçin Çevik, business follower Adem Altıntaş, and contractor Bülent Orhan Tozkoparan. It was reported that a large number of digital materials were seized during the searches.
The prosecutor's office announced that an investigation was being conducted against Sinem Dedetaş for the crimes of 'bribery,' 'embezzlement,' and 'establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime.' It was stated that the investigation was based on complaints, victim statements, testimonies from some suspects, MASAK data, HTS and base records, and administrative review reports.
In the prosecutor's statement, it was alleged that officials of Kent AŞ, who did not have official authority to issue building permits, directed municipal personnel through a closed-circuit electronic mail network and island-parcel based tables. It was claimed that a total of 1 billion 78 million 870 thousand 833 lira worth of 'consultancy service' contracts were signed between Kent AŞ and contractors, and that 361 million 392 thousand 264 lira was collected under these contracts. It is important to note that these allegations are still in the investigation phase and have not yet been confirmed by a definitive judicial decision.
As of the morning of July 30, when the news was prepared, the procedures for Dedetaş and the other five individuals at the police were ongoing. No decision regarding their transfer to the courthouse, release, judicial control, or arrest had been announced.
Üsküdar Municipality, in its statement, emphasized the presumption of innocence and warned that evaluations made before the completion of the investigation could mislead the public. The municipal administration requested that no judgments be made regarding the ongoing process before the investigation is concluded.
Following the news of the detention, statements also came from the maritime community. The Chamber of Ship Engineers of TMMOB, where Sinem Dedetaş served as Chair of the Board from 2014 to 2016, expressed its sorrow in a statement:
“We have learned with sadness that Ms. Sinem Dedetaş, the President of the 44th Term Board of Directors of the Chamber of Ship Engineers of TMMOB and our member with registry number 2352, has been detained. We hope that the process will be clarified and resolved positively in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms as soon as possible.”
The ITU Shipbuilding and Marine Sciences Faculty Alumni Association also stated that they are closely and sadly following the legal process regarding Dedetaş, who is a member and graduate. In the statement from ITU GIMDER, it was said:
“As ITU GIMDER, we are closely and sadly following the legal process regarding our member and graduate Ms. Sinem Dedetaş, which has been reflected in the press. Our institution believes that the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, and the presumption of innocence are fundamental and indispensable principles for everyone, regardless of political views and opinions. As the Board of Directors of the Association, our wish is for the ongoing process to reach a conclusion as soon as possible, without infringing on rights, within the framework of universal legal principles, transparency, and justice.”
Sinem Dedetaş, a shipbuilding engineer who graduated from the ITU Shipbuilding and Marine Sciences Faculty in 2004, served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Ship Engineers of TMMOB from 2014 to 2016 after her engineering work in the private sector. Dedetaş became the first female president in the history of the chamber.
In 2019, she was appointed as the first female general manager of Istanbul City Lines AŞ. During this period, she was involved in the revitalization of the Haliç Shipyard, the construction of Istanbul Sea Taxis, the restoration of historic ferries, and efforts to increase women's employment in the maritime sector. Dedetaş was elected as the Mayor of Üsküdar in the local elections on March 31, 2024.
Due to Dedetaş's long professional background in the maritime and shipbuilding sector, the detention process is being closely monitored not only by the political agenda but also by the maritime community.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
