Images have emerged showing Babala TV presenter and social media phenomenon Oğuzhan Uğur being taken for a health check-up today, as part of the ongoing investigation into Ahbap Derneği. The footage shows Uğur being escorted by three police officers to the hospital for health check procedures.
Seven individuals, including Oğuzhan Uğur, the founder and content creator of Babala TV, who frequently came to public attention due to his aid activities with Ahbap Derneği during the earthquake period, were referred for detention as part of the investigation into Ahbap Derneği.
It was learned that Uğur, who was taken into custody, was brought to Vatan Emniyet Müdürlüğü for questioning, and that his home was searched by police teams.
In the operation, Gülgün Öztürk, Suzan Düşküner, Emir Taşar, Emre Kartaloğlu, Hüseyin Küçük, and Fatih Eke were also referred for detention by police teams along with Uğur.
It was reported that among those detained were Ahbap employees, financial auditors, and one suspect operating in the field of crypto assets. The suspects, who were taken to the police department for questioning, are expected to be referred to the courthouse on July 20.
Teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Branch Directorate, under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, launched a comprehensive investigation into the crimes of "forming an organization to commit a crime," "aggravated fraud," and "laundering assets derived from crime."
Within the scope of the investigation, MASAK reports, examinations of account movements, and technical and physical surveillance activities determined that the suspects carried out high-value money transactions inconsistent with their financial profiles, made large money transfers among themselves, gambled by transferring significant amounts of money to lottery accounts, and lost large sums of money this way. Furthermore, it was also determined that the suspects carried out numerous consecutive title deed transfer transactions among themselves in a short period.
In line with the findings, in the initial operation conducted on July 12, 17 suspects, consisting of Ahbap Derneği members and employees, including its founder Haluk Levent, were referred for detention. In the continuation of the operations, 9 more suspects were apprehended, increasing the total number of detentions. Following their procedures at the police department, one of the suspects was released, while 14 of the 25 individuals referred to the courthouse, including Haluk Levent, were sent to prison. Judicial control measures were decided for the other 11 suspects.
In the continuation of the investigation, teams from the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch Directorate also took action. In simultaneous operations conducted in Istanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli, and Muğla, 17 more suspects were referred for detention.
Oğuzhan Uğur was born in Ankara in 1984. Uğur, who studied at Akdeniz University's Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Photography, began his career in music. Later, Uğur worked as a screenwriter, director, actor, and content creator, reaching large audiences, particularly with his Babala TV channel on YouTube.
The program "Mevzular Açık Mikrofon," broadcast on Babala TV, attracted attention by bringing together politicians, journalists, and well-known public figures with citizens. Uğur, who supported aid organizations conducted with Ahbap Derneği President Haluk Levent following the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, has also been on the agenda recently with his social media posts and public statements.