Politics
Graft allegations haunt Türkiye’s CHP with mayor’s arrest
For the ruling party, it is the tentacles of an octopus, and for prosecutors, it is a widespread network of corruption. In-depth investigations into graft in municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has now netted mayors of Adana, Antalya and Adıyaman. Along with sharing a first letter and being located in Türkiye’s south, the three cities now have the distinction of seeing their mayors apparently following the same pattern of corruption with other CHP-run municipalities.
Of the three, only Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek was formally arrested late Saturday, while legal proceedings are underway for Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere. Although their cases are separate, the names of all three men and municipalities are partially linked to investigations in Istanbul, whose mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, was arrested on similar charges in March.
Böcek was detained on charges of bribery, while his former daughter-in-law, Z.K., detained in the same case, was released with judicial control on Saturday. Böcek’s son, who is currently in Italy, is also wanted in the case.
Investigators say Böcek’s son, M.G., sought “payments” from businessman Y.Y. for the 2024 election campaign of his father and convinced him to sign a contract for a municipal contract in a bid to hide the source of payment amounting to TL 8.5 million ($210,000). On another occasion, M.G. bought a luxury residence for his wife, apparently instead of alimony, during their divorce proceedings, and Y.Y. paid the price on his behalf. Evidence against him includes activities in the bank accounts of M.G. and Y.Y. and a report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board. Z.K. told investigators that she was not aware how M.G. paid for the residence; M.G. was unemployed at the time of the purchase.
For his part, Muhittin Böcek claimed he was not aware of payments by Y.Y., though he acknowledged he was familiar with the businessman due to his work. “I don’t know what terms he was on with my son,” he claimed. He also claimed he was not aware that his daughter-in-law had been given a residence during the divorce.
On Friday, the deputy mayor of Manavgat, a district of Antalya, was detained in a bribery operation. Police officers raiding the office of Mehmet Engin Tüter minutes after he allegedly accepted a bribe, discovered a large amount of euros hidden inside a box of baklava. Tüter had denied that he was aware of the cash, while the plaintiff who handed him the cash told authorities he paid the bribe in exchange for a permit for his business.
The cases of Tutdere and Karalar are linked to three separate corruption investigations based in Istanbul. Investigations focus on the ties of businessman Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, who allegedly paid bribes to district municipalities in Istanbul for lucrative contracts. He was detained last year along with CHP’s Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat. Testimony of Aktaş and other suspects, as well as other evidence, led to 15 detention warrants on Saturday, including Karalar and Zeydan. Ahmet Şahin, acting mayor of Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece district, who recently replaced Hasan Akgün, was also arrested on charges of corruption in a similar case.
Karalar is accused of accepting bribes from companies seeking access to the municipality’s tenders during his previous tenure as mayor of Adana’s Seyhan district. Tutdere is also accused of seeking bribes from several businesses. In both cases, the mayors are accused of using the municipality’s bureaucrats as intermediaries for the payment of bribes to avoid detection.
The CHP claims the detentions and arrests are politically motivated despite mounting evidence of bribery and amid confessions of businesspeople who detailed how they paid bribes to mayors and municipal bureaucrats in exchange for building permits and winning municipal tenders.
The party’s chair, Özgür Özel, reiterated their defense of the mayors and, in Böcek’s case, he said the arrest would “harm Antalya.” He claimed the mayors were “prisoners we will liberate one day.”
Özel incited CHP supporters to riots after Imamoğlu’s arrest and threatened any business he branded as pro-government with a boycott.
The government has repeatedly reiterated that the investigations are carried out by an independent judiciary and accuses the CHP of attempting to dodge corruption charges by portraying the arrests as political. The Fight Against Disinformation Center (DMM), a subsidiary of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said in a statement on Sunday that the opposition’s claim that only opposition parties were investigated for corruption was untrue. The DMM said the Interior Ministry also approved an investigation into municipalities run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), as well as its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The statement said that in 2024 alone, the government greenlit an investigation into 59 municipalities run by the AK Party, while this number was 58 for the CHP and 21 for the MHP.
“It is clear that investigations are launched regardless of the party affiliation of municipalities,” the statement said.
On Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed the CHP for disinformation regarding the investigations and trying to exploit them. “They tried to manipulate the public, but our nation is aware of their plot. The public knows riots would only serve separatists. I advise CHP administrations to be patient and await the verdict of the independent judiciary,” he was quoted by Turkish media.
“This is a moment of self-reflection for the CHP. Instead of contributing to the country’s politics, they seek to benefit from riots. They try to cover up the crimes through riots, through attempts to smear our judiciary organs,” he said.
“It is obvious that they do not trust their mayors, so they try to distort the issue,” Erdoğan said. Under the pretext of “politically motivated” arrests, the CHP long sought to rally the public for early elections.
“Is it possible for a party caught in a corruption syndrome to receive public approval? You can feel the stench (of corruption) everywhere,” Erdoğan said.
Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu voiced concern over Israel’s growing presence in the Greek Cypriot-administered south, saying expanding military ties could undermine security on the divided island.
Ertuğruloğlu made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish journalists in Washington, D.C., as part of his U.S. visit following the U.N. General Assembly meetings.
Responding to a question about the impact of the Greek Cypriot administration’s growing military ties with Israel and other countries on security on the island, Ertuğruloğlu said Turkish Cypriot authorities were concerned about Israel’s increasing involvement.
“We are, of course, not pleased with Israel becoming so influential in southern Cyprus,” he stated, “This is a relationship that puts the island’s security at risk.”
He also criticized the Greek Cypriot administration’s military cooperation with France, U.S. arms sales and military training, as well as British policies involving its bases on the island.
Ertuğruloğlu said such developments risked disrupting stability but argued that Türkiye had taken necessary measures to preserve the military balance.
He emphasized that Turkish Cypriots remained confident about their security despite regional tensions, citing the presence of Turkish forces on the island and Türkiye’s role as a guarantor.
Two-state position unchanged
Ertuğruloğlu further noted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would maintain its current foreign policy position on the future of the Cyprus issue, reiterating its call for two sovereign, equal states with equal international status.
“The point we have reached in foreign policy is final: two sovereign, equal states with equal international status,” he said. “There is no option of establishing a new partnership with the Greek Cypriots. That is over.”
He underlined that Turkish Cypriots had previously attempted to establish a partnership with Greek Cypriots, referring to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 and the intercommunal violence that began in 1963.
Ertuğruloğlu argued that the Greek Cypriot side’s approach to the Cyprus dispute had not changed and said the international community’s policies encouraged it.
He also pointed to military cooperation between the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel, as well as the expected participation of U.S., British and French military personnel in anniversary ceremonies in southern Cyprus.
Ertuğruloğlu said future relations on the island could instead be based on good, neighborly ties between the two states.
“There can now be neighborly relations on the island,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, who resigned from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in June, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday.
“We informed the president about important issues on Izmir’s agenda and our projects for the city’s future,” Tugay noted in a written statement, thanking Erdoğan for the meeting and his interest in Izmir.
The meeting comes amid speculation over Tugay’s political future following his departure from the CHP.
Tugay resigned from the party on June 18 amid turmoil following a court ruling concerning the CHP leadership and said he would continue serving as Izmir mayor as an independent.
His departure left Türkiye’s third-largest city with a mayor who was not a CHP member for the first time in more than two decades.
Since his resignation, Turkish media reports have speculated that Tugay could join the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
AK Party Izmir lawmaker Mehmet Kasapoğlu, responding to the speculation, said the party would neither attempt to force political developments nor “close the door” on trends emerging naturally in politics.
Erdoğan’s meeting with Tugay follows a Sept. 9 meeting with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who later announced his resignation from the CHP and said he would continue his political career as an independent.
Morning raids on Thursday netted Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, along with the mayors of the Yenişehir and Mezitli districts in the province.
Authorities announced that a total of 59 suspects were detained in an investigation into corruption in the municipalities.
Seçer, Yenişehir Mayor Abdullah Özyiğit and Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer are all members of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), whose new chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has pledged to cleanse the party of corruption after taking office last May.
The investigation into Mersin municipality, a city of about 2 million people, found that violations of regulations in 13 public tenders and 63 acquisitions organized by the municipality resulted in a public loss of more than TL 330 million ($6.73 million). Suspects linked to Mezitli Municipality caused a public loss of more than TL 1.1 billion, investigators discovered, again through rigged public tenders and acquisitions, while the figure was TL 105 million at Yenişehir Municipality.
A similar scheme was discovered in most municipalities that faced investigations in the past two years, and almost all of them were run by CHP mayors. In other investigations, prosecutors have accused defendants, including mayors and senior municipal bureaucrats, of running criminal organizations that thrived on bribes in exchange for zoning and building permits, awarding lucrative tenders to businesspeople in exchange for advance payments in violation of tender laws and holding companies hostage over payments for their services, releasing the payments only after the companies paid additional money to the municipalities.
Authorities said Tuncer also faced a separate investigation over allegations that he ordered armed attacks on people with whom he was involved in a feud, as well as on a local office of the New Party (YP), which was founded last July by former CHP chair Özgür Özel, and the offices of a media company.
The CHP seeks to restore its image, tarnished by the arrest of mayors on corruption charges. As promised by Kılıçdaroğlu, the “cleansing process” will now involve preemptive steps to prevent future cases, according to a recent report by Sabah newspaper. Starting next year, the party will introduce a “performance monitoring system” for its mayors, which will serve as a benchmark to assess whether they comply with the CHP’s predetermined criteria.
With this move, the mayors’ past and future performance will come under scrutiny. They will be assessed based on how many criteria they have met, and at the end of the process, they will be given a “report card.”
The mayors will undergo reviews in a number of areas, including project management, financial management, human resources management and public relations. The flow of funds in municipalities, investments and the allocation of tenders are also expected to be examined comprehensively.
Mayors whose activities are deemed suspicious, who fail to meet the established criteria or are found to have performed poorly will not be nominated in the next election. Throughout the process, the main focus will be on clean politics and financial transparency.
All of the mayors who remain under the CHP umbrella are individuals who were nominated in the last local elections during Özgür Özel’s tenure as party chairperson. The party leadership also plans to hold a meeting of mayors shortly to strengthen central authority and discuss steps to be taken for the coming year.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler attended the Distinguished Observer Day of the Unity of Strength-2026 military exercise in Azerbaijan on Thursday, alongside senior commanders from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
The exercise, hosted by Azerbaijan with the participation of Türkiye and Uzbekistan, is aimed at improving coordination and joint operational capabilities among the three countries’ armed forces.
Güler visited the exercise area in Shusha with Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Navy Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel and Air Force Commander Gen. Rafet Dalkıran.
Güler and Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov also inspected weapons, ammunition and military technologies displayed and used during the exercise.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said Turkish and Azerbaijani air forces struck simulated ground targets on their first attempts during the drills. The ministry also said troops conducted urban warfare training as part of the exercise.
According to the ministry, participating units trained under challenging scenarios designed to improve coordination, speed and their ability to conduct joint operations.
More than 3,500 military personnel from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have taken part in the joint exercises, which began Sept. 21, according to Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, noting the drills marked the first military exercise of this scale to include territories retaken by Azerbaijan.
More than 130 unmanned aerial vehicles, 70 armored vehicles, 90 artillery systems and 20 aircraft are participating in the exercise, along with more than 30 electronic warfare, reconnaissance and surveillance systems. The drills also involve more than 15 air defense systems, eight sets of engineering equipment and more than 20 naval vessels, the ministry said.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that work was underway on the possible transfer of Türkiye’s Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to a third country, a move that could help address a longstanding dispute between Ankara and Washington over Türkiye’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet program.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the issue was “on the agenda” and that discussions were taking place.
“Relevant work is being done, and appropriate contacts are taking place,” Peskov noted when asked about the possibility of transferring the systems.
His comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow could consider allowing the S-400 systems to be transferred to another country.
Lavrov said any recipient would need to act responsibly and maintain friendly relations with Russia, adding that Moscow would consider such a transfer if a request were made.
Türkiye agreed to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia in 2017 and acquired the system in 2019.
The acquisition drew criticism from the United States and other NATO allies, which argued that operating the Russian system posed risks to NATO defense systems and the F-35 program.
Washington subsequently removed Türkiye from the F-35 program and imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Ankara has long sought to resolve the dispute and return to the F-35 program. Yet, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering allowing Türkiye to rejoin the F-35 program at the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
Speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex after arriving in Ankara for the summit, Trump said the time had come to remove sanctions that have strained relations between the two NATO allies.
“We’re going to lift the sanctions,” Trump said. “We don’t want to sanction our friends. I don’t want to choke my friend with sanctions.”
Calling Türkiye a militarily powerful country under Erdoğan’s leadership, Trump remarked that relations between Washington and Ankara were at their strongest point in years.
Yemen is seeking to expand cooperation with Türkiye to rebuild state institutions and improve essential public services as the war-torn country grapples with persistent security and humanitarian challenges, Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba said.
Al-Zouba made the remarks during a meeting with Türkiye’s Ambassador to Riyadh, Emrullah Işler, Yemen’s official SABA news agency reported.
The two officials discussed recent developments in Yemen and the wider region, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations and broaden cooperation.
Al-Zouba praised Türkiye’s support for Yemen and its internationally recognized government, including Ankara’s backing for the Presidential Leadership Council.
She stressed the importance of strengthening political and diplomatic coordination between Türkiye and Yemen amid regional and international developments, saying closer ties could support efforts to rebuild state institutions and bolster regional security and stability.
The Yemeni government is particularly interested in expanding cooperation with Türkiye in strengthening state institutions and improving basic services to help ease hardships facing the population, al-Zouba said.
The foreign minister also raised the impact of Houthi attacks on security in Yemen and the wider region, including threats to international trade and maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
She warned that indiscriminate missile launches by the Houthis posed growing risks to civil aviation and international air travel, saying weapons that fail to distinguish between civilian and military targets endanger passenger aircraft and civilian lives.
Işler, for his part, reiterated Türkiye’s support for the Yemeni government and for Yemen’s security, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation and supporting the Yemeni government’s efforts to rebuild state institutions and restore security and stability.
-
Sports3 days agoTürkiye slip to 31st in FIFA rankings after Nations League defeats
-
Politics3 days agoIraq says talks underway for withdrawal of Turkish troops
-
Sports3 days agoManchester City stare down barrel after reported guilty verdict
-
Sports3 days agoTurkish football refereeing rocked by probe as MHK chief detained
-
Politics3 days agoTurkish diplomat Güllüoğlu appointed to senior UN posts
-
Lifestyle3 days agoNature, history, heritage come together aboard Karaelmas Express
-
Politics3 days agoTurkish security forces target Daesh network in coordinated raids
-
Economy3 days agoSpain eyes ban on evictions until 2030 amid housing protest pressure