Uşak mayor among dozens detained in corruption probes

ISTANBUL

Prosecutors have detained 25 suspects, including Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım and a deputy mayor of the southwestern city of Muğla’s Marmaris, as part of widening investigations into alleged corruption and irregularities in municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

According to a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Uşak Municipality's tenders were manipulated through duplicate invoicing schemes, with the resulting differences collected as bribes.

Investigators also claim that companies seeking contracts were pressured to grant shares to the mayor’s relatives or risk losing bids.

According to the prosecution, additional allegations include the collection of large sums of cash under the name of “donations,” which were allegedly delivered without official receipts and misappropriated.

Officials further claim that certain municipal expenses were improperly charged to the public budget under the representation and hospitality expenditures.

In Marmaris, the local prosecutor’s office launched a separate investigation into alleged irregularities in construction permits and zoning decisions.

Authorities claim that certain municipal officials coordinated unlawful practices through designated personnel and obtained financial benefits in return.

The latest detentions come amid a broader series of investigations targeting CHP-run municipalities across Türkiye. Prosecutors have increasingly focused on allegations that local administrations engaged in irregular tender practices through affiliated companies, misused public loans and exerted pressure on businesspeople for financial contributions.