Dozens detained in latest wave of Istanbul Municipality ops

ISTANBUL

Some 57 suspects were detained on May 18, over allegations of bid-rigging in tenders conducted by a subsidiary of the Istanbul Municipality, in the latest wave of operations targeting the opposition-run local administrations.

The operation was launched as part of an ongoing investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into the municipality and its affiliated entities.

Investigators determined that irregularities had allegedly taken place in procurement tenders carried out by Boğaziçi, one of the municipality’s companies responsible for facility management services.

Following the findings, simultaneous raids were carried out across Istanbul as well as the provinces of Adana, Bursa, Diyarbakır Konya and Yalova.

Detention warrants were issued for 58 suspects in total. Authorities said 57 of them were apprehended during the operations and taken into custody, while efforts to locate and detain the remaining suspect are ongoing.

A series of investigations over the past year have targeted municipalities governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu imprisoned since March 2025.