Haluk Levent, the prominent Turkish rock musician and founder of the Ahbap charity, was detained on 12 July in Bursa as part of a sweeping investigation launched by the Istanbul public prosecutor into the non-profit organisation.
Levent faces accusations of violating associations law, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organisation. Prosecutors allege that nearly 120 million lira was transferred from Ahbap accounts to his assistant, Yeliz K., and that victims were defrauded of approximately $60 million in real estate transactions conducted under the organisation's name. Investigators also flagged that an associate, Alper Ç., reportedly placed legally sanctioned bets totalling 990 million lira between 2020 and 2026, losing 390 million.
Ahbap, founded by Levent in 2017, rose to prominence after coordinating relief following the devastating February 2023 earthquakes in southeastern Turkey.