Overview
- Police detained Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Besikcioglu after early-morning raids and held Uskudar Mayor Sinem Dedetas along with several municipal staff over alleged permit and tender irregularities.
- Prosecutors and the Justice Ministry say the probes target embezzlement, forgery, tender-rigging and a scheme that allegedly tied building permit approvals to consultancy contracts.
- The Justice Ministry reported investigators targeted 42 municipal officials and 13 company representatives across nine provinces and seized documents and digital materials from searches at 71 locations.
- Opposition parties called the latest detentions politically motivated and said they follow a string of probes since 2024, while government officials insisted the judiciary is acting independently.
- The raids risk disrupting local services and shifting municipal power ahead of future elections and leave detained mayors facing lengthy criminal cases that could carry heavy sentences.