Widening Crackdown: Three More CHP Mayors Detained in Corruption Probes

CHP mayors from Adana, Adıyaman, and Antalya were detained this morning as part of expanding investigations into alleged bribery and organized crime involving municipal contracts. The opposition denounces the arrests as politically motivated.

In a sweeping series of early morning operations, Turkish police detained three more mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), intensifying a crackdown that has gripped multiple municipalities. Those detained include Zeydan Karalar, Mayor of Adana; Abdurrahman Tutdere, Mayor of Adıyaman; and Muhittin Böcek, Mayor of Antalya.

The arrests stem from a broader investigation into an alleged criminal network led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was previously detained in a bribery case but later released after invoking the “effective remorse” provision under Turkish law and cooperating with authorities.

Criminal Organization Claims and Widening Network

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a detailed statement alleging that Aktaş and his associates paid bribes to senior municipal officials in return for steering public contracts toward favored firms. Among the detained are Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin and several others allegedly involved in organizing and covering up irregular tenders.

The statement claims that multiple witnesses, including former employees of Aktaş’s companies, have provided documentation showing that:

• Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, during his previous role as Seyhan district mayor, directed contractors to pay bribes through a municipal department head.

• Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere allegedly funneled similar payments via his deputy mayor.

• Ahmet Şahin and his driver were allegedly caught receiving money linked to rigged tenders.

The prosecutor also confirmed ongoing investigations into former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat and former Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün, both accused of illicit enrichment and pressuring contractors to transfer property in exchange for permits and approvals.

CHP Slams “Selective Justice” and “Political Targeting”

Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş condemned the wave of detentions in a strongly worded statement shared on social media:

“Are only opposition mayors being targeted in this so-called clean-up? Where are the AKP officials who allegedly received the same money? The law must apply to all or to none. We will not bow to political operations disguised as justice.”

Yavaş accused the judiciary of bending to political pressure, arguing that the rule of law is being selectively applied against opposition figures.

CHP Leader Özel: “We Will Not Let Our Honor Be Stained”

Meanwhile, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel reacted to a separate operation in Manavgat, where 35 individuals, including Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara, were detained by order of the local prosecutor. Video footage from the arrest went viral on social media, prompting Özel to release a formal response.

“We’ve assigned two party investigators to examine the claims. If wrongdoing is proven, there will be zero tolerance,” Özel said, while stressing that CHP will not protect anyone proven to be involved in criminal acts.

However, he warned against what he sees as judicial double standards, citing that in other high-profile cases like that of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, no evidence of corruption has surfaced despite 107 days of investigation.

“We reject the politics of those who protect ministers with shoeboxes full of cash. We demand transparent justice—for everyone, everywhere,” Özel added.

Backdrop: Strategic Timing Ahead of Local Political Unrest

The intensifying legal campaign against CHP municipalities comes amid rising political tensions ahead of the autumn judicial calendar. Analysts suggest the operations may be aimed at weakening the opposition’s local power base before upcoming challenges to Erdoğan’s political reform agenda.

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