Mayor of Ankara district jailed pending graft trial

ANKARA

Ankara’s Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu was arrested on Aug. 3 pending trial as part of a sweeping corruption investigation targeting municipal officials, becoming the latest official from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) to face judicial action.

Beşikçioğlu was among 55 suspects brought before a court on Aug. 2 after being detained on July 30. Prosecutors sought the arrest of 44 suspects and an on-duty magistrate ordered the detention of Beşikçioğlu and 40 others early on Aug. 3.

The Interior Ministry said the investigation centers on allegations including the establishment of and membership in a criminal organization, embezzlement, bribery, extortion, bid rigging, interference in the execution of public contracts and abuse of office.

In his police testimony, Beşikçioğlu denied all allegations.

The mayor said he had no authority over the municipality’s tender processes and argued that irregularities cited in reports by the Court of Accounts had been uncovered through internal audits launched under his instructions.

Beşikçioğlu, 56, was elected mayor of Etimesgut in the March 2024 local elections on the CHP ticket with 56.6 percent of the vote, ending four consecutive terms of rule by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in one of Ankara’s largest metropolitan districts.

Before entering politics, he was one of Türkiye’s best-known actors, gaining nationwide recognition for his portrayal of police chief Behzat Ç. in the long-running crime drama of the same name.

Questioned over claims that municipal facilities had been used during the filming of the popular series, Beşikçioğlu said the production company had paid the municipality for the filming and that it had helped promote the district.

Following the formation of the New Party by ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel and allied lawmakers, Beşikçioğlu announced that he would remain with the CHP.

His detention came just one day after Sinem Dedetaş, the mayor of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, was taken into custody in a separate corruption investigation involving similar allegations.

The case is the latest in a series of investigations targeting CHP mayors over the past year, with several opposition municipal leaders, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, facing arrest, detention or trial.

While the CHP maintains that these actions are politically motivated efforts to suppress opposition, the government denies any political intent.