The state of play
Where the case stands
Haluk Levent, the founder of the aid group AHBAP, was detained in an İstanbul investigation on 12 July 2026 and jailed by a court on 16 July. He is one of at least 18 people held on suspicion of running a criminal organization, aggravated fraud, and laundering the proceeds of crime. He denies wrongdoing, no indictment has been filed, and he has not been convicted of anything.
Much of what is public is allegation, not established fact. What the courts have done is on the record: the detentions, the arrest orders, an asset freeze on AHBAP and the suspects, and an expert panel appointed to examine whether the donations raised after the 2023 earthquakes were spent as intended. What prosecutors and the financial-crimes board MASAK allege, that roughly 120 million lira flowed to accounts Levent used and that he gambled heavily, is contested, and the betting figures do not line up across the sources. Two suspects, a co-founder and Levent's driver, have given accounts under Türkiye's effective-remorse provision in exchange for leniency, untested in court.
The case unsettles people because of what AHBAP was. Founded in 2017, it ran one of the largest civilian relief efforts in the country after the February 2023 earthquakes and published independent audits of its spending. AHBAP as an institution has not yet given a detailed, point-by-point response to the prosecutor's figures. A separate complaint, filed by Başaran Holding, also names Levent.
How we cover this
This is a live criminal investigation, and much of what is public is allegation rather than proven fact. On this page, detentions, court orders and filings are facts of record; the prosecution's claims, the MASAK report, and the cooperating-witness accounts given in exchange for leniency are marked as claims and attributed to who makes them.
No indictment has been filed, no one has been convicted, and everyone named is presumed innocent. Where AHBAP or the accused have answered the allegations, we say so; where they have not, we say that too.
The timeline
How it unfolded
- Fact of record
- Court action
- Allegation / claim
- Expected
- Pending ExpectedThe case moves toward an indictment. A court-appointed expert panel is examining whether the 2023 earthquake donations were spent lawfully and as intended.
- 19 July 2026 Statement · UğurAn account from Babala TV host Oğuzhan Uğur surfaces distancing himself from Levent and the money: no funds reached his accounts, and a personal falling-out with the singer. He is detained for questioning, not charged. Sözcü
- 18 July 2026 Cooperating witnessCo-founder Alper Çelik, seeking effective remorse, tells the financial-crimes unit that Levent used his bank accounts to move money and place bets. The file, as read to him, shows large sums passing through his account. A cooperating suspect's account, given for leniency and untested in court. Anadolu Ajansı
- 17 July 2026 Prosecutors issue nine more detention orders and police take in seven suspects, among them Oğuzhan Uğur, whose home is searched. Police begin taking statements from the group on 19 July. AA, Sözcü
- 16 July 2026 Court actionA court orders Levent and 13 others jailed, 14 in all, and places 11 more under judicial control; a second wave brings those held to 18. The court freezes the assets of AHBAP and the suspects and appoints an expert panel to examine the 2023 donations. AA, TRT Haber
- 15 July 2026 After questioning, 25 suspects are sent to a criminal judgeship and one is released; prosecutors ask the court to arrest 19 of them. AA
- 14 July 2026 The number of people detained rises to 42, across İstanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli and Muğla, and prosecutors add forming a criminal organization and tax-law violations to the conduct under examination. AA, Sözcü
- Alleged (in the case file) Alleged · prosecutor / MASAKThe prosecution alleges that roughly 120 million lira flowed from AHBAP to accounts used by Levent, and that donations were taken abroad or spent outside their purpose, with heavy betting through a co-founder's accounts. The betting figures conflict: a prosecutor's summary put the wagering near 990 million lira, with about 390 million lost, while MASAK's report cites a single lost coupon of about 190 million. MASAK's own conclusion is that it "should be investigated."
- 13 July 2026 A MASAK report enters the case file, police search AHBAP's İstanbul headquarters, and trustees are appointed to four connected companies. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek confirms the investigation and says it could widen. AA, TRT Haber
- 12 July 2026 Court actionThe İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office opens an investigation into AHBAP Derneği and detains Levent in Bursa. AA, TRT Haber, Sözcü
- 3 July 2026 Statement · LeventAfter a court fines him 70 million lira over two bounced cheques, Levent announces he will step down as AHBAP's chair once its projects finish, calling it one of the most-audited NGOs in the country.
- 29 June 2026 Complaint · Başaran HoldingIn a separate case, Başaran Holding files a criminal complaint accusing Levent and two others of taking about 60 million dollars "by unlawful and fraudulent means." The allegation is untested.
- 2017 to 2023 Levent founds AHBAP in 2017. After the February 2023 earthquakes it runs one of the country's largest civilian relief efforts and publishes an independent audit reporting about 4.36 billion lira in donations for 2023, nearly all spent on relief.
The coverage
Our reporting
About this tracker
How this page works
This is a running record, updated as the case develops. Each entry is written in our own words with its source named in the line; nothing here republishes wire copy. The timeline marks what is settled and what is not: solid points are facts of record, red points are court actions, and hollow points are allegations or statements attributed to who makes them.
The scope is the AHBAP donations investigation and the directly connected Başaran Holding complaint. Presumption of innocence applies to everyone named: detention and arrest are steps before trial, not findings of guilt. Our approach is set out in "How we cover this" above.