In Turkey, officials arrested over extortion from the Ecumenical Patriarchate Church
In Istanbul, the mayor of the Adalar district and officials were arrested in a case involving extortion from an Orthodox foundation exempt from fees.
On June 24, 2026, a court in Turkey ordered the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul's Adalar district and a number of senior municipal officials in a corruption case related to extortion from a Greek Orthodox foundation on the island of Büyükada, reports Daily Sabah.
The investigation is being conducted by the prosecutor's office of the Anatolian side of Istanbul. According to investigators, representatives of the Adalar municipality, which is governed by Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party, demanded money in exchange for issuing permits and processing administrative procedures.
According to prosecutors, the officials received nearly 3 million Turkish liras — approximately 65,000 dollars — from representatives of the Orthodox foundation. At the same time, according to investigators, the religious institution was legally exempt from such municipal fees.
Case materials state that Deputy Mayor Hüseyin Yılmaz pressured foundation representative Vasil Poridis, demanding payments for a building operating permit. The investigation also references recordings of negotiations in which Yılmaz and Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat allegedly discussed receiving money.
42 people were detained in connection with the case, including the mayor and two of his deputies. Following questioning, the court ordered the arrest of 35 suspects, while four others were released under judicial supervision. The investigation materials also mention issues related to other religious institutions in the district, including the historic Halki theological school.
Previously, the SPJ reported that Trump and the EU secured from Erdoğan the opening of the Halki Theological School.
