Authorities issued detention warrants for 20 suspects, with 17 of them were apprehended, on Wednesday in an investigation into corruption at Antalya Municipality in southern Türkiye.
Muhittin Böcek, the mayor of the province for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was arrested in July in the investigation, and more suspects were apprehended in ensuing operations.
In the fifth wave of operations on Wednesday, prosecutors issued detention warrants for suspects, including municipal bureaucrats and businesspeople, as well as Zeynep Kerimoğlu, the former daughter-in-law of Böcek. His current daughter-in-law was detained in an earlier operation on charges of money laundering, while Kerimoğlu was briefly detained and released pending trial later. The mayor’s son, Gökhan, was arrested in August. Gökhan Böcek’s sister-in-law was also among the suspects sought in Wednesday’s raids.
Authorities also seized assets belonging to the owner of a local TV station and seven other companies. Trustees were appointed to the companies, along with assets belonging to Zeynep Kerimoğlu.
Suspects are accused of involvement in bribery related to municipal matters.
On Sunday, the Antalya police chief and a local businessman were detained in the investigation linked to Böcek. Charges against them were “acting as intermediaries for bribery, aggravated fraud and unlawful enrichment.”
Authorities say the bribery network, which Böcek was part of, involved alleged kickbacks totaling TL 195 million ($6 million) from contractors who had won municipal tenders. According to prosecutors, the funds were funneled through a currency exchange bureau, converted into gold and used to purchase luxury vehicles. Investigators have appointed trustees to one currency exchange bureau and two jewelers linked to the transfers.
Investigators claim Böcek’s son sought “payments” from businessman Y.Y. for the 2024 election campaign of his father and convinced him to sign a contract for a municipal contract in a bid to hide the source of payments amounting to TL 8.5 million ($210,000). On another occasion, he bought a luxury residence for his wife, apparently instead of alimony, during their divorce proceedings, and Y.Y. paid the property price on his behalf. Evidence against him includes activities in the bank accounts of Gökhan Böcek and Y.Y. and a report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK).
For his part, Muhittin Böcek claimed he was not aware of the payments by Y.Y., though he acknowledged he was familiar with the businessman due to his work. “I don’t know what terms he was on with my son,” he claimed. He also claimed he was not aware that his daughter-in-law had been given a residence during the divorce.
