Turkish authorities on Friday intensified a series of corruption investigations into municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), with dozens detained in coordinated operations across several cities, according to official sources.
The latest operations focused on the Yenişehir Municipality in the southern province of Mersin and the Bolu Municipality in northwestern Türkiye, as part of broader probes into alleged corruption, bribery and embezzlement.
Police carried out an early morning raid on Yenişehir Municipality, searching municipal offices and detaining around 30 individuals, including deputy mayors, department heads and company representatives linked to municipal tenders. Authorities said the investigation centers on alleged irregularities in procurement processes and misuse of public funds.
The Yenişehir operation is the latest in a growing number of corruption-related cases involving CHP-run municipalities. Over the past two years, more than 20 mayors and numerous municipal officials have been detained or arrested on similar charges.
While CHP officials have argued that the investigations are politically motivated, government representatives have rejected those claims, saying the judiciary operates independently and that cases are based on evidence.
Also on Friday, authorities detained two more people, including Deputy Mayor Leyla Beykoz, as part of an ongoing corruption probe into allegations of extortion, misuse of donation funds, and administrative abuse in the municipality and municipal-linked institutions, like a charity firm.
The Bolu case gained prominence last month when Mayor Tanju Özcan was arrested and later suspended from duty by the Interior Ministry. He is accused of seeking or obtaining unfair advantages from local businesses, including chain supermarkets operating in the province.
Prosecutors are also examining allegations involving a municipal-affiliated foundation that collected approximately TL 884,000 ($19,700) in donations during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha under a campaign presented as for distributing sacrificial animals.
According to investigation files, inspectors found no records showing the purchase or distribution of sacrificial animals. Financial documentation reportedly contained no evidence of livestock procurement or slaughter activity linked to the campaign.
In a separate case in Istanbul, at least 20 suspects, including the deputy mayor of Üsküdar, were sent to court on Friday following their detention on Tuesday in a corruption investigation.
The probe centers on allegations of bribery and irregularities in building and occupancy permits issued by the municipality, which the CHP won in 2024 for the first time in more than two decades. Among those detained were Deputy Mayor Filiz Deveci, municipal bureaucrats and executives of the municipality’s subsidiary Kent A.Ş.
According to a statement from the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Kent A.Ş. officials allegedly operated as an informal structure within the municipal permit system, channeling what prosecutors described as “illegal revenues” from contractors seeking approvals.
Investigators allege that the suspects participated in decisions on whether permits were approved or rejected despite lacking formal authority. They also claim the group maintained a secret database in which contractors were assigned color codes used to determine how much they would be required to pay.
Prosecutors further allege that suspects coordinated in meetings where payment amounts were set in exchange for permit approvals.
