Two separate investigations targeting municipalities in Istanbul on May 15 led to operations at both the Istanbul Municipality and Üsküdar Municipality, resulting in a total of 19 detentions.
In the first case, 13 individuals were detained as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in public tenders conducted by certain departments within the Istanbul Municipality, an official statement by the prosecutor’s office said.
Authorities claimed that procedural violations occurred in several procurement processes.
On the same day, a second wave of operations was carried out under the coordination of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of a separate “bribery” investigation into Üsküdar Municipality.
In this case, seven people were detained over allegations of irregularities in building usage license procedures related to construction projects within the municipality’s jurisdiction. The first operation targeting Üsküdar Municipality was conducted on April 7.
In a broader investigation concerning alleged irregularities and bribery in construction permit issuances.
A series of investigations over the past year have targeted municipalities governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu imprisoned since March 2025.
In a new development in the probes, Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım, who was recently arrested in connection with a corruption investigation, has agreed to provide a new statement to prosecutors regarding CHP leader Özgür Özel.
Following his initial testimony under the “effective remorse” provisions, Yalım reportedly requested to give an additional statement and spent five hours testifying at the Çağlayan Courthouse.
In his statement, Yalım claimed that during the CHP party congress in 2023, when Özel was elected party leader, he engaged in efforts across several provinces by meeting delegates to secure support for Özel.
He further alleged that he initially provided 200,000 Turkish Liras, followed by an additional 1 million liras in cash during the congress process.
