The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul ordered the seizure of all assets belonging to the former mayor of the southern province of Antalya, Muhittin Böcek, who was arrested last year on charges of corruption. Along with Böcek, who was elected mayor from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), authorities also ordered the seizure of assets belonging to his son and his daughter-in-law. His daughter-in-law, Zuhal Böcek, was detained on April 30 on charges of money laundering.
The charges against the family revolve around bribery, allegedly taken by Böcek and his son, Mustafa Gökhan Böcek, from companies or businesspeople seeking to do business with the municipality in the city, which sits at the heart of Türkiye’s Mediterranean riviera.
The investigation into the alleged wrongdoings of the mayor and his family expanded into a separate case about corruption accusations in Istanbul, where former Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and dozens of municipal bureaucrats and businesspeople were arrested last year.
Böcek and others are accused of accepting TL 195 million ($4.31 million) in bribes for handing out permits for construction and related works to businesspeople. They are also accused of laundering money through jewelry stores and currency exchanges.
After Böcek’s arrest, the investigation expanded over the following months through a series of coordinated police operations targeting suspects connected to the municipality, including businesspeople and municipal officials.
