Turkey Detains 53 in Fifth Wave of Crackdown on Haluk Levent’s Earthquake Charity

Turkey’s Justice Minister, Akın Gürlek, announced a new police operation targeting the Ahbap Association, a charity founded by rock musician Haluk Levent. The operation, described as the fifth wave, is underway in 20 provinces and involves warrants for 53 people. The minister’s statement did not specify the charges against the suspects. Ahbap gained widespread recognition for its rapid and effective relief efforts following the devastating earthquakes in southeastern Turkey in February 2023. The association has previously stated that it collected over 4.3 billion Turkish liras in donations. This figure highlights the scale of the charity’s financial footprint, which is now under legal scrutiny. Authorities have not provided further details on the nature of the allegations at this time.