Istanbul, Oct 6. (dpa/GNA) – Turkish police have detained 46 suspects, including the former mayor of an opposition district municipality in the Aegean province of İzmir, in a bribery and bid-rigging investigation, state news agency Anadolu reported on Tuesday.
Prosecutors issued warrants for 48 people on charges of forming a criminal organization, bribery and bid rigging, and raided addresses in five provinces, Anadolu said. The raids are the latest in a spree of operations, targeting the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The party gained nationwide success in 2024 local polls, winning key cities from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party.
The CHP has since had its leadership replaced by court order, and 90 of its lawmakers have departed to form a new party.
Prosecutors alleged that bidders were linked to each other, that some services had been invoiced but not delivered, and that payments had later been directed to accounts held by the suspects.
Separately, a court arrested the CHP mayor of the southern city of Mersin, Vahap Seçer, as well as two district mayors as part of a corruption probe.
Prosecutors said irregularities were found in 13 tender files that had been approved by Seçer, according to Anadolu.
GNA