An Istanbul court on Jan. 27 opened the first hearing in a bribery and bid-rigging case involving seven mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Publicly known as the Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization investigation, the case centers on allegations that the referred businessman secured public tenders from municipalities through bribery and collusion.
The probe first came to light on Jan. 13, 2025, following the arrest of Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat.
Businessman Aktaş, identified as the alleged ringleader, is accused of bribing municipal officials and manipulating tender processes through companies linked to him.
The hearing was held at the prison complex in Silivri, where extensive security measures were put in place.
Although Aktaş initially denied all accusations in his first testimony, he later sought to benefit from effective remorse provisions, making a series of statements implicating multiple officials.
On Jan. 27, Aktaş appeared in court and addressed journalists beforehand, saying, “I did not flee; I am here. Justice is the foundation of the state. Today, I will repeat what I said on the first day before justice.”
Spectators welcomed the arrested mayors brought into the courtroom with applause and slogans, while the mayors greeted the crowd.
With 200 defendants in total — 40 of whom are currently under arrest — the first hearing is expected to last for weeks. Court sessions are expected to continue until the defendants’ statements are heard and an interim ruling is issued.
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 after the court accepted 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.
Since last year, several CHP mayors have been subjected to investigations into corruption and bribery allegations, with several currently held in pretrial arrest.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been in custody since March 2025 as part of a separate bribery investigation.
