Newly appointed Istanbul police chief makes major changes to top positions, dismisses many

Newly appointed Istanbul police chief Selami Yıldız made major changes in senior positions in the megacity's security branch. Hanefi Zengin, who served as a police chief in Istanbul and was involved in assaulting women and journalists during protests, was among the many police chiefs recently dismissed from their posts.

Thursday December 19 2024 03:44 am

Duvar English

Selami Yıldız, who was recently appointed as the Istanbul Police Chief, has dismissed many police chiefs from their positions.

According to journalist Tolga Şardan from online news outlet T24, among those dismissed was Hanefi Zengin, who most recently served as the Başakşehir District Police Chief and was known for assaulting women and journalists during protests.

Zengin, who had been appointed as the Başakşehir District Police Chief while serving as the Head of the Security Branch, was removed from his post and reassigned to the personnel office. His active police duties were temporarily suspended until his reassignment.

Megacity’s new police chief Yıldız's appointments involved changes to key police chiefs overseeing areas such as public order, anti-smuggling, counter-terrorism, organized crime, financial crimes, witness protection, and security at Istanbul and Sabiha Gökçen airports, as well as the protection of the Bosphorus Bridges.

Additionally, police chiefs in high-visibility and busy districts like Beyoğlu, Başakşehir, Bahçelievler, Bakırköy, Beşiktaş, Şişli, Fatih, Kadıköy, Maltepe, Pendik, and Kağıthane were also reassigned to new duties.

In total, 20 out of the 39 districts in the city and 21 out of 54 central branch offices saw leadership changes.