Police and gendarmerie forces raided municipal buildings and other locations early Tuesday in a new wave of operations against corruption in municipalities. At least 85 people were detained in the operations that targeted municipalities run by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
In Istanbul’s Bakırköy district, 58 suspects, including five deputy mayors and a member of the municipal assembly, were detained in the probe into allegations of tender-rigging and bribery. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that the probe stemmed from tip-offs about allegations of tender-rigging and claims that the municipal officials illicitly asked for payment from business owners seeking to obtain permits from the municipality, and those refusing to pay had their permit process deliberately stalled by the same officials. Prosecutors said the investigation was further expanded, and investigators examined 42 tenders between 2024 and 2026 and found irregularities. Ten other suspects remain at large.
In western province Denizli’s Merkezefendi district, security forces stormed the municipality building as part of an operation into claims of zoning irregularities committed by municipal officials. Merkezefendi Mayor Şeniz Doğan and her husband were among 27 suspects detained while security forces searched the couple’s residence.
