Authorities launched a second wave of a bribery investigation targeting the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Seferihisar Municipality in western Izmir province on Wednesday, detaining six suspects, including Deputy Mayor Ibrahim Gökhan Pehlivan, prosecutors said.
The operation was carried out under the coordination of the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of an ongoing probe into alleged bribery and corruption linked to construction and zoning procedures within the municipality.
According to investigators, evidence gathered during earlier raids conducted between May 18 and May 20 pointed to irregular financial benefits allegedly obtained in exchange for facilitating construction and development-related transactions. Those operations resulted in the arrest of several individuals, including municipal purchasing coordinator Oktay Kalkan, local journalist Evrim Ataman and municipal council member and survey engineer Barış Sakcı. One municipal employee was later released by prosecutors.
Authorities said the latest phase of the investigation uncovered additional evidence suggesting that municipal officials and private-sector representatives established improper financial relationships during construction and zoning processes. Prosecutors estimate that approximately TL 6 million (about $130,000) in alleged bribes was exchanged through cash payments and bank transfers.
In coordinated raids carried out in Izmir and one other province, police detained six suspects, including Pehlivan, construction company owners Sönmez Budak and Rıdvan Korkmaz Budak, business owners Salih Yurduseven and Rıdvan Öğmen, and Özlem Akyılmaz, an adviser to main opposition CHP lawmaker Veli Ağbaba.
Investigators also seized digital devices and documents believed to be relevant to the case.
A report prepared by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) reportedly found that Akyılmaz transferred TL 500,000 that investigators suspect may have been linked to bribery payments to Ağbaba.
The investigation remains ongoing, and prosecutors said further legal action could follow as authorities continue examining financial records and seized materials.
