Istanbul court arrests Beşiktaş mayor over bid-rigging claims

Istanbul court arrests Beşiktaş mayor over bid-rigging claims

ISTANBUL
Istanbul court arrests Beşiktaş mayor over bid-rigging claims

Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat has been arrested over accusations of involvement in a bribery scheme in which a criminal organization allegedly secured municipal tenders through bid-rigging efforts.

Among the 23 individuals arrested are the deputy mayor and Aziz İhsan Aktaş, purportedly the ringleader of the scheme.

Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district has long been under the control of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and one of the party’s strongholds. Akpolat commenced his second term in March 2024 after securing a landslide victory with 64 percent of the vote in the local elections.

The prosecutor's office has asserted that Akpolat, as mayor, engaged in a "persistent and extensive" network of bribery and tender manipulation with companies linked to this criminal network. Beyond these charges, Akpolat also faces allegations of being a member of the criminal organization led by Aktaş.

Following approximately four-day detention, the court sent Akpolat to the prison in the early hours of Jan. 17.

"I have never demanded material gain from anyone in the course of my tenure as mayor," Akpolat stated during his testimony, according to local media.

"I am aware of some of the individuals and companies mentioned, but beyond that, I have no acquaintance, familiarity or commercial relationship with them. The allegations are baseless."

Akpolat further emphasized that serving a population nearing 2.5 million inherently necessitates public engagement.

"It is implausible for me to personally oversee every transaction and operation undertaken by the municipality. A substantial portion of my authority has been delegated to senior officials within the administration, including matters pertaining to tenders," he added.

The crux of the allegations revolves around the municipality’s subsidiary, Beltaş, through which the alleged network is accused of facilitating bribes to municipal leaders and senior officials to secure lucrative tenders. The investigation also extended to former Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was already jailed on terrorism charges and dismissed from office in a separate case. Özer is expected to provide testimony related to this probe from prison.

 CHP to appoint acting mayor from municipal council

In Akpolat's absence, a deputy mayor will be selected from among Beşiktaş Municipality’s council members, as one of its councilors will temporarily assume the mayoral duties.

“We anticipate the reinstatement of our mayor following our objection to the detention ruling. Until then, a CHP council member will serve as deputy mayor,” stated CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik during a press briefing outside the municipality on Jan. 17.

The decision has sparked fierce criticism from Akpolat’s party, with CHP leader Özgür Özel lambasting the court’s actions, claiming the arrest lacked substantiating evidence and was politically motivated.

"Let it be known that the detention of our Beşiktaş Mayor, Rıza Akpolat, based on nothing more than the testimony of a so-called secret witness, will not deter any member of the Republican People’s Party," Özel declared on X.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu similarly decried the ruling, asserting, “Your conspiracies cannot bend this resolve. You will not escape the hammer of the people's democracy.”

Following the court’s announcement, supporters gathered outside the Beşiktaş Municipality in solidarity with Akpolat.

Türkiye,