The corruption investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has widened after businessperson Adem Soytekin, a key suspect who had previously benefited from the “effective remorse” provisions, was re-arrested for giving contradictory statements, while prosecutors ordered the detention of four more municipal employees over alleged data leaks through the “Istanbul Senin” mobile application.
According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the probe, which includes suspended Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and other officials, covers a range of offenses such as forming and managing a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data and rigging tenders.
Prosecutors said that Soytekin tried to portray himself as unaware of the bribery network and to “separate himself from the organization,” while evidence suggested he acted as an intermediary in the transfer of properties tied to illicit income. Consequently, the court ruled that he had not made genuine statements qualifying for leniency and ordered his detention once again.
Soytekin had previously been released under house arrest after providing three detailed statements between June 17 and July 2, in which he reportedly described the working structure of the alleged network within IBB and its subsidiaries. At the time, the prosecution considered his testimony “consistent and concrete,” recommending release under judicial control.
However, subsequent police inquiries revealed alleged falsifications in his narrative and discrepancies between his statements and recovered documentation.
In a parallel investigation, prosecutors also issued arrest warrants for four additional suspects over allegations that personal data from the “Istanbul Senin” platform, including the location information of 4.7 million users, had been transferred abroad to two foreign countries.
Investigators determined that two of the suspects were employed in the Smart Urbanization Department and two others at the Communication Coordination Center. They are accused of unlawfully processing and exporting user data, as well as maintaining ties with members of the same criminal network targeted in the main corruption case.
Authorities said the probe revealed that within the app’s sub-program “IBB Hanem,” data concerning 11 million citizens’ ballot records were processed and extracted outside the official system. The information was allegedly found for sale on the dark web, prompting concerns about potential election-related manipulation.
Earlier this month, prosecutors announced that 15 suspects, including managers from six municipal subsidiaries, had been detained on similar charges. Of those, six were arrested, while nine were released under judicial control.
The investigation, one of the largest corruption inquiries in recent years targeting a municipal body, focuses on alleged systematic bribery, misuse of public resources, and data breaches that prosecutors claim were coordinated by a network linked to Imamoğlu.
The former mayor, who was suspended from duty after being formally charged, denies wrongdoing and calls the probe “politically motivated.” Yet judicial sources emphasize that the case has expanded well beyond political debate, with financial records, forged invoices, and offshore transfers forming part of the evidentiary trail.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office reiterated that “the inquiry aims to uncover the entire chain of responsibility” behind irregular public tenders, fake billing through companies connected to fugitive businessman Murat Gülibrahimoğlu and the unlawful monetization of citizens’ data.
With Soytekin’s re-arrest and new detentions in the data-leak file, the case underscores the growing judicial scrutiny over Türkiye’s largest municipality, while investigators continue examining financial flows, property transfers and digital forensics to map the scope of the alleged network.
Imamoğlu, who was suspended from duty earlier on charges of corruption, was detained for the crime of "political espionage" linked to terrorist groups and foreign states last week.
