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The investigation into the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Ankara Metropolitan Municipality over concert expenditures has been completed. An indictment has been prepared against 15 suspects, five of whom are under arrest, on charges of embezzlement, with prosecutors seeking prison sentences of up to 12 years for each.
The probe, launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, examined allegations that the municipality’s concert spending between 2021 and 2024 caused significant public financial loss. According to the prosecutor’s office, the case is based on findings from the Interior Ministry’s Civil Inspection Board, a Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) review, an audit by the Court of Accounts, and an expert report. Investigators determined that through 32 concert service procurements, the municipality suffered a financial loss exceeding TL 154.4 million ($5 million).
Among those detained are former senior officials from the municipality’s Culture and Social Affairs Department and Cultural Events Branch, as well as several business owners and partners of event organization firms. The suspects face charges of misconduct, bid rigging, and embezzlement.
The detained suspects include the former head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), along with current and former acting branch managers and owners of music, food organization, and tourism consulting companies. The Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Division is continuing procedures for the suspects’ referral to the prosecutor’s office.
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş previously faced criticism over what was described as excessive spending during Republic Day celebrations on Oct. 29, 2024, after media reports claimed the municipality paid TL 69 million for a concert by a popular singer.
The case is part of a broader wave of corruption investigations targeting municipalities administered by the main opposition CHP across Türkiye.
