An İstanbul court has ordered the arrest of Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler and 12 others as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged bid-rigging in municipal tenders.
The Beykoz Penal Court of Peace ruled to arrest the district mayor, five municipal officials, and representatives from 15 companies that either secured or bid on municipal tenders. Five other suspects were released under judicial control after appearing before the court.
On Feb 27, Köseler and 20 others were taken into custody as part of the investigation. They were held at the İstanbul Security Directorate before being transferred to Beykoz Courthouse for questioning after a medical check-up earlier today.
After being interrogated by prosecutors, 19 suspects were referred to the Beykoz Penal Court of Peace with a request for their arrest, while prosecutors sought judicial control measures for the remaining individuals.
İstanbul's Beykoz district mayor detained in corruption investigation
Previous investigations into Beykoz Municipality
In January, the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into V.G., the municipality’s chief of staff, following bribery allegations circulated on social media.
A Labor Ministry inspection in December found that around 20 municipal employees were working without insurance. Beykoz officials claimed these workers were "volunteers."
Authorities in November began investigating 20 million liras in alleged irregular spending related to three concerts and Beykoz Anadolu Spor AŞ’s participation in TFF 2. Lig.
A Feb 2022 probe into alleged mismanagement of advertising and announcement revenues led to an initial review by the İstanbul Governor’s Office, which found no grounds for further action. The Interior Ministry later dropped the case. The municipality was run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) before the 2024 local election.
CHP municipal council member Cemal Sataloğlu filed a criminal complaint in Nov 2021, claiming that the municipality had failed to collect advertising revenue, causing a 30 million lira loss. However, the Interior Ministry declined to assign an inspector to the case.
Investigations targeting CHP-run municipalities in İstanbul
The investigation into Beykoz Municipality comes amid a broader crackdown on CHP-run municipalities in İstanbul. In Oct 2024, Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was arrested on charges of "membership in an armed terrorist organization" due to alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Following his arrest, he was removed from office, and İstanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy was appointed as a trustee mayor. Özer denied the allegations, stating that he expected his party to defend him.
In Jan 2025, prosecutors issued 47 arrest warrants as part of a corruption investigation into Beşiktaş Municipality. Among those detained was Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who was accused of being involved in a bribery and rigged bidding scheme. He was arrested in Balıkesir and later transferred to İstanbul, where he was formally taken into custody.
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who declared his intention to run as the CHP's presidential candidate, is also facing prison sentences and a ban from politics on several charges, including "attempting to influence the judiciary" and "targeting counterterrorism officials."
(AEK/VK)
