The trial of 41 defendants, including suspended Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, began Monday in southern Türkiye in a wide-ranging corruption and bribery case tied to alleged irregularities within the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.

The first hearing was held at the Antalya 6th High Criminal Court, where Böcek appeared alongside several co-defendants, including his son Mustafa Gökhan Böcek and Ilker Arslan, a former senior official in the Antalya Police Department who had been suspended from duty.

Five of the defendants are currently in custody. The hearing began with the verification of identities and the reading of a summary of the indictment.

Several members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including Deputy Chair Gökan Zeybek and a number of lawmakers, attended the hearing along with Antalya Deputy Mayor Büşra Özdemir, the defendants’ relatives and numerous observers.

The case stems from a corruption investigation coordinated by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities launched the probe in 2025 into allegations of bribery, abuse of influence and financial misconduct involving municipal officials and business figures.

Böcek and his former daughter-in-law, identified by the initials Z.K., were detained on July 5, 2025. Böcek was later arrested and removed from his position as mayor by the Interior Ministry. Z.K. was released under judicial supervision with a travel ban.

Investigators determined that Böcek’s son, Mustafa Gökhan Böcek, had been abroad at the time of the initial detentions. He was taken into custody and arrested on Aug. 19, 2025, after returning to Antalya from Vienna.

The investigation expanded over the following months through a series of coordinated police operations targeting suspects connected to the municipality, including businesspeople and municipal officials.

Authorities allege that irregular financial transactions carried out through a municipal company caused approximately 399.5 million Turkish liras (nearly $10 million) in public losses.

Several suspects were detained and later arrested in multiple waves of operations between August 2025 and January 2026. Some individuals were subsequently released after cooperating with investigators under provisions related to effective remorse in Turkish law.

The indictment accepted by the Antalya 6th High Criminal Court accuses the defendants of a range of offenses, including bribery through coercion, illicit enrichment, influence peddling, money laundering, aggravated fraud and defamation.

Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of between 15 years and six months to 44 years for Böcek on charges including coercive bribery, unjust enrichment and laundering of assets derived from criminal activity.

The indictment also calls for increased penalties under provisions related to repeated or organized offenses.

Court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming months as judges hear testimony from defendants, witnesses and legal representatives.

The operation was launched following claims that unlawful expenditures were carried out through the Infrastructure Management and Consultancy Trade Inc. (ALDAŞ), a municipally owned infrastructure management and consultancy subsidiary and Antalya Water and Wastewater Administration (ASAT).

According to the investigation file, reports prepared by a chief civil inspector appointed by the Interior Ministry and expert assessments commissioned by prosecutors concluded that irregular transactions carried out through ALDAŞ resulted in public losses totaling millions of Turkish liras.

The majority of domestic and international travel expenses incurred by officials from ASAT and the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality were paid by ALDAŞ, even though many of the trips lacked official assignment records. Prosecutors said some individuals whose flights were paid for had no professional connection to either ALDAŞ or ASAT, amounting to what investigators described as indirect embezzlement of public funds.

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Iran has denied launching missiles toward Türkiye after three ballistic missiles fired from Iranian territory were intercepted by NATO air defenses this month, as Ankara seeks clarification over the incidents that rattled southern Türkiye.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had “no intention” of attacking Türkiye and rejected claims that Iranian missiles were directed at the country.

“Iran has no intention of attacking Türkiye,” Baghaei told Ihlas news agency on Monday. “We do not attack any neighboring country. Our defensive actions focus only on the sources of military attacks against Iran.”

NATO air defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a third ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Türkiye, the Defense Ministry said Friday, adding that it was asking Tehran for clarification.

The alliance had already shot down two other missiles on March 4 and March 9. Turkish officials said the first was intercepted before entering Turkish airspace, while the second had already crossed into it.

Authorities have not disclosed the intended target of the third missile, but an explosion was heard overnight near the Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana, according to witnesses and verified social media footage.

The base hosts U.S. forces along with Turkish and allied personnel. Ankara has said Washington has not used Incirlik in its air operations against Iran alongside Israel.

Baghaei rejected claims that missiles had been launched toward Türkiye or Azerbaijan, who reported four injured in its Nakhchivan exclave after four Iranian drones crossed its border on March 9.

“Allegations that missiles were fired from Iran toward Türkiye or Azerbaijan are false,” Baghaei insisted. “Iran’s armed forces are extremely careful in selecting targets. We target U.S. military bases and assets used to attack Iran.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Ankara was discussing discrepancies between Tehran’s statements and technical evidence gathered from the launches.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Fidan said Turkish authorities possessed technical data regarding the missiles and were raising inconsistencies with Iranian officials.

Baghaei also suggested that “false flag” operations could be possible.

“Some malicious actors may attempt false flag operations to create disputes between Iran and neighboring countries,” he said.

Türkiye, which shares a border with Iran and fields NATO’s second-largest army, has stressed that it does not want to be drawn into the war between Iran, Israel and the United States.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Ankara was taking preventative measures to protect its airspace.

“Our main priority is to keep our country away from this pit of fire,” Erdoğan said.

Turkish authorities have lodged diplomatic protests with Tehran after each missile incident while maintaining contact to clarify what happened.

Following the second missile incident, the Iranian Embassy in Ankara reiterated that Iran had not targeted Türkiye and said Tehran respected Türkiye’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“It is emphasized that no projectiles have been launched from Iran toward Türkiye,” the embassy said in a statement posted on social media, adding that Tehran had proposed forming a joint investigative team following a call between the two countries’ presidents.

Turkish security sources said Ankara was acting cautiously to avoid escalating tensions but had delivered a clear message to Tehran to identify those responsible and prevent further incidents.

The Kürecik NATO radar base in southeastern Malatya province plays a key role in detecting missile threats in the region. NATO has reinforced ballistic missile defenses following the incidents and deployed a U.S. Patriot air defense system to strengthen protection around the facility.

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Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand plans to visit Türkiye on Tuesday and is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as Turkish Foreign Ministry sources announced on Monday.

During the meeting, Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance attached to deepening bilateral relations between Türkiye and Canada as NATO allies, and underline that increasing mutual high-level contacts and visits would be beneficial in this regard.

He is also expected to stress that the current $2.7 billion bilateral trade volume does not reflect the real potential of commercial cooperation between the two countries, while expanding partnerships in the defense industry, as with the HURKUS aircraft, would contribute to strengthening both military and commercial ties.

Cooperation in renewable energy, including nuclear energy, which is likely to add a new long-term dimension to Türkiye-Canada relations, as well as joint efforts in the fields of security and counterterrorism, are expected to be noted by the Turkish foreign minister.

The recent developments in the Middle East and the global repercussions of the Iran war, particularly the required joint action of the international community to stop the conflicts as soon as possible and urge a return to the negotiating table, are among the issues that Fidan is expected to address.

Also, Fidan and Anand are expected to exchange views on regional and global issues, particularly the situation in Gaza, the Palestinian issue, the Russia-Ukraine war, and developments in Syria.

Fidan and Anand last met on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting on Dec. 3, 2025, and also held a phone call on March 4.

Bilateral relations

Relations between Türkiye and Canada have gained momentum in recent years, with an increasing number of high-level contacts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in New York and Johannesburg in 2025.

Fidan visited Canada on Dec. 9, 2023, under the Gaza Contact Group. Former Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly also paid a visit to Türkiye on May 15-16, 2024, while Türkiye-Canada Counterterrorism Consultations were held in Ankara on Nov. 26, 2025.

The second meeting of the Türkiye-Canada Joint Economic and Trade Committee was held in Ottawa on Jan. 20 this year.

Canada-based AtkinsRealis and Türkiye Nuclear Energy Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on March 3 to deepen the cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

In 2025, the total bilateral trade volume reached approximately $2.7 billion, with Türkiye’s exports at $1.57 billion and imports at $1.16 billion.

Canadian investments in Türkiye amount to $608 million, while Turkish investments in Canada stand at $253 million.

The number of registered Turkish citizens living in Canada is around 65,000.

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Türkiye’s U.N. envoy on Monday warned that Islamophobia is spreading like an unchecked plague, cautioning that it is increasingly spreading at all levels of society and posing a growing threat to social cohesion.

“Across many regions today, hate crimes, racism, xenophobia and hostility against Islam have reached alarming levels,” Ahmet Yıldız said both on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and as chair of a U.N. General Assembly high-level event marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Noting that “such acts contradict the fundamental principles of human dignity, equality, human rights and fundamental freedoms,” he said that beyond direct harm to targeted communities, Islamophobia undermines “social cohesion and poses a threat to democratic values, public order and peaceful coexistence.”

“Islamophobia continues to spread like an unchecked plague, poisoning all layers of society,” he stressed.

He noted that “Islamophobia is not a matter of legitimate criticism or intellectual debate,” and stated that “it is the expression of prejudice, discrimination and intolerance that violates the fundamental rights and dignity of Muslims.”

Pointing out the situation in the Gaza Strip and broader regional tensions, he said these developments “have contributed to one of the most profound crises the international community has faced in decades,” warning that the crises are also “fueling an alarming rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric.”

“Muslims are increasingly portrayed as outsiders, cultural threats or security risks,” Yıldız said. “Such narratives contribute to the dangerous normalization of prejudice in public discourse, and, even worse, to the dehumanization of Muslims.”

Also raising concern about rising anti-Semitism, he said that “hatred directed against any religious community is unacceptable” and that “all forms of hatred and discrimination, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, must firmly be rejected.”

On accountability, Yıldız called for better tracking of incidents, noting that “many incidents of hate crimes remain absent from official national and international records, as they are frequently categorized as ordinary criminal acts rather than manifestations of hatred and discrimination.”

He urged all nations to “adopt effective measures to prevent such acts and to ensure that perpetrators of hate crimes are held accountable.”

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On the 12th anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and following with “an illegitimate referendum,” Türkiye said Monday it does not recognize the situation on the peninsula, calling it “a violation of international law.”

“While strongly supporting Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, Türkiye will continue to closely monitor the situation on the Peninsula and keep it on the agenda, with particular attention to the situation of the Crimean Tatar Turks,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, a move widely viewed as illegal by the international community, including Türkiye and the U.N. General Assembly.

Annexation

Crimea became a focal point of tensions between Ukraine and Russia after the ouster of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, following pro-Western protests that deepened divisions between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian factions. The unrest spread to the Crimean Peninsula as a new pro-Western administration came to power in Kyiv.

Around the same time, Russian military units already stationed in Crimea expanded their presence across cities on the peninsula, actions widely seen as violating agreements signed between Russia and Ukraine in 1997 and 2010 governing the basing of Russian forces there.

In February 2014, a pro-Russian crowd stormed the Crimean parliament, demanding a referendum on independence from Ukraine. The Crimean Tatar National Assembly, which supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, announced plans for a counter-rally against pro-Russian groups advocating the vote. Large demonstrations by both sides took place on Feb. 26, 2014, with more than 7,000 activists, mostly Crimean Tatars, gathering to oppose secession. Two people died in clashes during the confrontation, and the referendum was temporarily postponed.

A day later, armed pro-Russian personnel known as “little green men,” so named for their uniforms without insignia, began seizing key government buildings and soon took control of the regional parliament. Reports widely suggested the forces were Russian troops operating without official markings, though this was never formally confirmed at the time. While under the control of these forces, the parliament reconvened on March 6 and scheduled the referendum for March 16.

In the days leading up to the vote, pro-Russian authorities launched a campaign targeting pro-Ukrainian groups, particularly Crimean Tatars. Crimean Tatar leaders called for a boycott of the referendum, but the vote went ahead and produced a result favoring union with Russia.

The U.N. General Assembly later declared the referendum invalid, and most U.N. member states, including Türkiye, rejected Russia’s claim to the peninsula. Moscow nonetheless proceeded with the annexation. Five days after the vote, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree formally incorporating Crimea into the Russian Federation and establishing new federal entities.

The annexation brought increased pressure on Crimean Tatars, a Turkic Muslim community Indigenous to the peninsula. Authorities cited the Feb. 26 clashes as justification for arrests and investigations targeting Tatar leaders and activists. The Crimean Tatar National Assembly was later banned after being labeled an extremist organization. Activists say some detainees died in custody or reported torture in Russian prisons, while several others were allegedly abducted by pro-Russian forces.

Crimea again became strategically significant after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, using the peninsula as a staging ground for military operations. Russian forces also seized parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions while maintaining control over areas of Donetsk and Luhansk held by pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

Ukraine has since carried out strikes on military targets in Crimea using missiles and unmanned sea and aerial vehicles supplied by Western allies. British-French Storm Shadow missiles have been used to target Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and shipyard facilities in Sevastopol, damaging several warships. Ukrainian amphibious units have also conducted limited raids on the peninsula. According to Ukrainian officials, these attacks forced Russia to relocate some Black Sea Fleet vessels to the port of Novorossiysk.

Russia also organized referendums in other occupied Ukrainian regions. On Sept. 30, 2022, Putin signed decrees annexing Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Together with Crimea, the move effectively added about 15% of Ukraine’s territory to Russia and helped establish a land corridor linking the Donbas region with Crimea.

Türkiye’s bond

NATO member Türkiye has balanced ties with Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has maintained good ties with both, supporting Ukraine militarily and backing its territorial integrity while refusing to join sanctions on Russia.

Türkiye traces its relations with Crimea to the 15th century, when the Turkic Crimean Khanate accepted the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. Close relations continued for centuries, at least until the Russo-Turkish War of the 18th century. The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (Kuchuk-Kainarji), which marked the end of the war, also ended Crimea’s alignment with the Ottoman Empire. Shortly after the signing of the treaty, Russia annexed the peninsula.

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The fifth day of hearings in the sweeping corruption case against Istanbul’s suspended mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, ended abruptly Monday after a dispute over courtroom seating escalated into disruptions involving opposition lawmakers and defense lawyers.

The hearing at the Marmara Prison and Courthouse Complex in Istanbul’s Silivri district lasted only minutes before the presiding judge suspended proceedings following heated arguments over where several lawyers and political figures were allowed to sit.

After an hourlong break, the judicial panel did not return to the courtroom. A court officer later informed lawyers that the session had been postponed until Tuesday.

The trial involves 407 defendants, including 107 who remain in detention, and centers on allegations of a wide-ranging corruption network linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). Prosecutors accuse Imamoğlu of leading a criminal organization that orchestrated bribery, bid-rigging and fraud schemes tied to municipal contracts.

Monday’s session had been expected to continue with the defense of detainee Ümit Polat’s legal team, followed by statements from several other defendants, including Ağaç Inc. employee Fatih Yağcı and business figures Ali Üner and Evren Şirolu.

Instead, tensions erupted before proceedings fully began.

Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Turan Taşkın Özer entered the courtroom wearing a lawyer’s robe and said he was attending in his capacity as a legal professional. Gendarmerie officers instructed him to move to the public gallery, saying he was not registered as a defense attorney in the case.

Özer refused, arguing that he had come as a lawyer and had the right to remain in the defense section of the courtroom.

The dispute continued as the panel entered the chamber. The presiding judge ordered lawyers without formal authorization in the case to sit in the spectator section, but several remained in the defense area.

As arguments intensified, the judge announced a recess and ordered the defendants temporarily removed from the courtroom.

Another CHP lawmaker, Mahmut Tanal, further heightened tensions by removing a handcuff used to secure a barrier separating the press and spectators, further disrupting the proceedings.

The confrontation forced the court to suspend the hearing shortly after it began. About an hour later, a court clerk returned to the courtroom and announced that the session would resume the following day.

Security around the courthouse had already been tightened before Monday’s hearing following disruptions during earlier sessions. Authorities set up checkpoints roughly 500 meters from the prison complex, stopping vehicles and restricting access to the courthouse area. Only journalists carrying official press accreditation were allowed into the building.

The trial marks the second week of hearings in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest corruption investigations involving a Turkish municipality.

The indictment, completed in November 2025, spans more than 3,800 pages and accuses Imamoğlu and dozens of municipal officials, business figures and associates of participating in an organized network that allegedly manipulated public tenders and siphoned off large sums from municipal projects.

Prosecutors say the alleged scheme caused public losses totaling around TL 161 billion ($3.6 billion) through 143 acts involving bribery, fraud and other offenses.

Imamoğlu, who was removed from office and jailed pending trial, is described in the indictment as the “leader of a criminal organization for profit.” The charges against him include forming and leading a criminal organization, bribery, bid-rigging, fraud against public institutions, laundering criminal proceeds and illegally obtaining and distributing personal data.

If convicted on all counts linked to 142 alleged acts, he could face prison sentences ranging from about 828 years to more than 2,300 years.

Imamoğlu and his main opposition party deny the accusations.

The court began hearing the case on March 9 and has been taking testimony from detained defendants. During the first week of proceedings, suspects including former officials and municipal employees presented their defenses before the court.

According to the defense schedule prepared by the court, hearings are expected to continue with statements from additional defendants connected to allegations involving the municipal company Ağaç Inc. once the trial resumes.

Proceedings will pause later this week due to the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Despite Monday’s brief session, the case is expected to stretch over months as judges hear testimony from hundreds of suspects and examine evidence tied to the sprawling investigation into alleged corruption within the municipality.

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