Corruption Case Expands in Istanbul Municipality; 14 Arrested
Judicial authorities in Istanbul announced the arrest of 14 individuals in connection with a financial corruption case within the municipality. The arrests are part of an extensive investigation into allegations of bribery and irregularities in public tenders at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
According to the prosecutor’s office, 14 out of 18 suspects for whom arrest warrants were issued have been detained so far. Among those arrested is Deniz Erzincan, the brother of famous singer Erdal Erzincan. The operations were carried out by Istanbul’s Financial Crimes Unit.
The Istanbul Municipality corruption case, which began months ago, has so far led to the arrest of 97 people. Official statistics indicate that another 206 individuals are under judicial supervision. Some suspects have cooperated with judicial authorities under the effective remorse law, resulting in the release of some detainees.
The charges in the case include bribery, forming a criminal organization, fraud, and irregularities in public tenders. Former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was previously detained in connection with this case, remains one of the key suspects.
The investigation is ongoing, and judicial officials have stated that four more suspects are still being sought. This case, considered one of Turkey’s largest corruption investigations in recent years, has so far named 312 individuals as suspects.
