Seven mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), five of whom are currently in pretrial detention, will appear before a judge for the first time on Jan. 27, on charges of bribery and bid rigging.
The case, publicly known as the Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization investigation, revolves around allegations that a business network secured public tenders through bribery and collusion.
The probe first became public on Jan. 13, 2025, following the detention of then-Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat.
Businessman Aktaş, identified as the alleged ringleader, is accused of bribing municipal officials and manipulating tender processes through affiliated companies
While Aktaş initially denied all accusations during his first testimony, he later sought to benefit from effective remorse provisions, making a series of claims implicating multiple officials.
Prosecutors are seeking up to 704 years in prison for Aktaş on charges ranging from bribery and forgery to fraud and money laundering.
According to the 578-page indictment, which names 200 defendants, including 40 arrests, seven CHP mayors are implicated in the case.
The Beşiktaş mayor faces up to 337 years in prison on eight separate charges, including bid rigging and accepting bribes.
Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of up to 15 years for Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara and up to nine years for former Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer. Özer was released following the court’s acceptance of the indictment.
Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin and Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar will be tried without arrest, while Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere faces up to 12 years in prison on bribery charges.
The indictment alleged that Aktaş expanded his criminal network beginning in 2020 by securing tenders from municipalities, ushering in what prosecutors describe as the organization’s “golden age.”
It also claimed that CHP-run municipalities were provided with vehicles and financial resources through illicit means.
The first hearing will be held at the courthouse complex in Silivri.
Since last year, several CHP mayors have been subjected to investigations into corruption and bribery allegations, with several currently in pretrial custody.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been held since March 2025 as part of a separate bribery investigation.
In a parallel case, an indictment has also been finalized against 41 suspects, including Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, who was detained on July 5, 2025, and later suspended from office as part of a bribery and corruption. However, prosecutors have not yet disclosed the prison sentences sought in that case.
The CHP has described the wave of detentions and investigations as politically motivated, a claim the government has firmly rejected.
