"Turkish National Singer Who Raised 236.1 Billion Won to Help Earthquake Victims Arrested for Misappropriation"

Turkish Prosecutors Arrest Levent and 20 Others
Portion of $236 Million in Donations Allegedly Used for Gambling and Third-Party Transfers
Levent's Side Denies Charges, Says He Requested Full Audit

Haluk Levent, a famous Turkish singer aged 58, has been detained on charges of misappropriating donations collected for earthquake recovery efforts.

Haluk Levent, famous Turkish singer. Instagram

According to Yonhap News Agency on the 13th (local time), which cited the Turkish daily Sabah, the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating alleged irregularities by the civic group “Ahbap,” which Levent founded in 2017. During the investigation, authorities identified violations of relevant laws, money laundering of criminal proceeds, and participation in a criminal organization, leading to the arrest of Levent and approximately 20 others. Among those detained were lawyer Ece Guner and others, and authorities confiscated digital devices as well as cash, gold, checks, and promissory notes.

It is reported that following the devastating earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 that struck Gaziantep and other southeastern regions of Turkey in February 2023, with over 53,500 fatalities, Levent initiated a campaign through “Ahbap” to collect donations for providing shelter to the affected people, raising approximately 158 million dollars (about 236.1 billion won).

However, contrary to the plans presented by “Ahbap,” some housing construction projects remain incomplete more than three years after the earthquake. Prosecutors stated that they found some of the funds gathered by “Ahbap” were siphoned off to personal accounts and used for gambling or transferred to third parties. Prosecutors noted, “It has been confirmed that donations made by citizens hoping to help in the wake of the earthquake tragedy were moved into individual accounts and used for gambling and third-party transfers.”

The amount involved in the charges has also been specifically identified. Prosecutors found that Levent transferred approximately 120 million lira (about 2.5 million dollars or 3.7 billion won) from Ahbap funds through accounts held in his secretary’s name. They also claimed that accounts belonging to Levent and Ahbap’s co-founder were used for gambling on betting platforms between 2020 and 2026, involving about 990 million lira (about 30 billion won), resulting in losses of around 390 million lira (about 12 billion won).

Separate investigations revealed that suspects affiliated with Ahbap took over real estate from earthquake victims under the pretense of using it for good deeds, only to transfer it to unrelated individuals. The resulting losses are estimated at approximately 60 million dollars (about 88.8 billion won).

Levent’s side has denied all charges. Before his arrest, he said on social media, “I am not Superman. I have shortcomings and may make mistakes,” while also adding, “Within a few months, I will complete the ongoing projects, pass the next audit, and hand over the chairmanship of Ahbap to the next leader.” According to local media, he had sent a letter to the authorities 15 days prior to his arrest, requesting a thorough audit of Ahbap.

Since the 2023 earthquake, Ahbap has become known nationwide for its volunteer network and relief efforts. By directly attracting donations from citizens without going through government disaster agencies, it emerged as a representative private relief channel.

Levent is a hugely popular singer who fused Turkish traditional music with rock to create the psychedelic genre “Anatolian rock.” In 2023, he was named on TIME’s list of the “100 Most Influential People.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.