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Turkish authorities on Friday lifted house arrest restrictions on two key informants in the sweeping corruption investigation into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), part of a broader probe targeting alleged bribery, tender rigging and organized crime within opposition-run districts.
The house arrest order for Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, the alleged ringleader of what prosecutors call the “Aziz Ihsan Aktaş criminal organization,” was lifted following his cooperation with investigators under Türkiye’s effective remorse provisions.
Aktaş, accused of orchestrating a network that bribed mayors and municipal officials, had been detained in April and later confined to his home after providing testimony that led to a series of high-profile raids.
Also released from house arrest was IBB mayoral adviser Ertan Yıldız, who has been implicated in the same network of alleged graft and unlawful tenders.
House arrest orders remain in place for Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı of Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district and businessperson Adem Soytekin, the prosecutor’s office said.
Expanding probe
The case has rattled the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which controls Istanbul and several other key municipalities.
In March, anti-bribery and counterterrorism operations were launched against the IBB, led by CHP Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Prosecutors said the investigation uncovered systemic bribery schemes, with municipal tenders allegedly steered to favored companies in exchange for kickbacks.
Dozens of municipal officials and CHP district mayors were rounded up in simultaneous raids.
According to case files, Aktaş’s testimony directly led to warrants for 47 individuals, including senior IBB staff and five CHP district mayors. Twenty-two suspects, including five mayors, remain in custody.
Court filings accuse Aktaş of establishing and leading a criminal organization, bribery, rigging tenders and contracts, and laundering illicit assets. Investigators seized the assets of companies linked to him and placed injunctions on his business holdings.
Although Aktaş initially denied the allegations, he later provided detailed confessions on April 30 and May 11, reportedly exposing how municipal tenders were manipulated through a network of bribes and coercion.
His testimony has since become the foundation for multiple operations against CHP-controlled districts, including the arrests of Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat and Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer.
Threats against informants
As the probe deepens, authorities say a wave of threats has been directed at witnesses cooperating with prosecutors.
Sabah newspaper reported that Aktaş himself told investigators he was placed on a “death list,” echoing earlier threats made against other informants. Three separate investigations have been opened into threats targeting Aktaş, Yıldız and Soytekin.
Prosecutors argue the intimidation campaign demonstrates the entrenched nature of the corruption network within Istanbul’s opposition-run municipality.
The corruption scandal poses a major challenge to Imamoğlu, who has denied wrongdoing but faces mounting legal and political pressure as the cases move forward.
