The mayor of İzmir’s Menderes district was among 13 people detained on Aug. 4, as part of an investigation into allegations including bribery, misconduct and forming a criminal organization.
The chief prosecutor’s office in İzmir said detention warrants had been issued for 16 people, including Menderes Mayor İlkay Çiçek. Police detained Çiçek and 12 others during morning operations, while efforts continued to locate the remaining suspects.
Authorities searched the Menderes Municipality building and several other addresses as part of the investigation.
The detainees were taken to police headquarters after undergoing medical examinations.
Çiçek, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was elected mayor of Menderes in the March 2024 local elections after receiving around 46 percent of the vote.
The investigation comes amid a broader wave of legal action targeting CHP-run municipalities since the 2024 polls. More than 50 mayors and municipal officials across Türkiye, including in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, have been arrested or removed from office, with some municipalities placed under government-appointed trustees.
