Seven mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have been indicted as part of a wide-ranging corruption investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The case names 200 suspects in total, 40 of whom are currently in pre-trial detention, including the mayors.
The 578-page indictment comes ten months after initial operations began, and centers around businessperson Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who has cooperated with authorities under “effective remorse” provisions.
He faces a potential prison sentence of 187 to 450 years for charges including establishing and leading a criminal organization, rigging public tenders, forgery of official and private documents, fraud, bribery, money laundering, and issuing false invoices.
The indictment also details how Aktaş allegedly established a network of companies through family members to avoid legal accountability, secured tenders through close ties with public officials, and concealed organizational activities using encrypted online communication. Authorities say the criminal network included 28 individuals with defined roles.
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According to the indictment, “Aziz İhsan Aktaş began expanding in 2016, adding new firms to his group and targeting major municipal tenders, particularly in vehicle leasing, waste collection, and urban cleaning.”
It describes the busineesperson as “the undisputed and absolute authority within the organization.”
The investigation began with a raid on İstanbul's Beşiktaş district municipality in January, leading to the detention of Mayor Rıza Akpolat and 30 others. In the following months, additional arrests followed, including Adana Metropolitan Mayor Karalar and several district mayors.
CHP officials have claimed the investigation is politically motivated, aimed to undermine the party’s success in the 2024 local elections, in which it became the largest party. Government officials have rejected these claims, pointing instead to the scale of the alleged corruption and the findings of the judiciary.
The CHP has faced a series of corruption investigations after the 2024 polls, which also targeted Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was declared as the party's presidential candidate, resulting in his detention and suspension from office.
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Sentences faced by the CHP mayors
Zeydan Karalar, Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality: charged with bribery, facing 4 to 12 years in prison.
Abdurrahman Tutdere, Mayor of Adıyaman: charged with bribery, facing 4 to 12 years.
Rıza Akpolat, Mayor of İstanbul's Beşiktaş district: facing multiple charges including membership in a criminal organization, tender rigging, forgery, fraud, bribery, and illegal asset acquisition. Prosecutors are seeking 133 to 337 years in prison.
Utku Caner Çaykara, Mayor of İstanbul's Avcılar district: charged with tender rigging and bribery, facing 5 to 15 years.
Ahmet Özer, Mayor of İstanbul's Esenyurt: charged with tender rigging and document forgery, facing 3 to 9 years.
Oya Tekin, Mayor of Adana's Seyhan district: charged with bribery, facing 4 to 12 years.
Kadir Aydar, Mayor of Adana's Ceyhan district: charged with bribery, facing 4 to 12 years.
(VK)
