(AA Photo)
A total of 59 people, including Mersin Mayor Vahap Seçer, were detained as part of a corruption investigation in the southern province on Oct. 1, in the latest operation targeting opposition-run municipalities.
Police conducted searches at the homes of suspects for whom detention warrants had been issued, while the operation also targeted the districts of Yenişehir and Mezitli, in addition to Mersin Municipality.
Yenişehir Mayor Abdullah Özyiğit and Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer were also among those detained.
Mersin Mayor Seçer, who was also elected president of the Union of Turkish Municipalities in May, is among those taken into custody.
The investigation alleged that public losses amounting to approximately 331 million Turkish Liras ($6.75 million) were identified in 13 tenders and 63 direct-procurement contracts at Mersin Municipality.
The alleged public loss was put at 1.01 billion liras at Mezitli Municipality and 105 million liras at Yenişehir Municipality.
According to reports by Turkish news agencies, Mezitli Mayor Tuncer is also being investigated on charges related to allegedly leading an armed criminal organization.
He is accused of ordering armed attacks against the workplaces of people with whom he had personal disputes, according to the reports.
The locations targeted in the alleged attacks reportedly included the provincial headquarters of the emerging main opposition New Party as well as the premises of a media organization.
All three mayors detained in the operation are members of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The operation comes amid a wider series of investigations targeting mayors elected from opposition parties that have been ongoing for more than a year.
Several mayors and senior municipal officials, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been jailed pending trial as part of these investigations.
