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A massive bribery scheme in Antalya and a widening graft probe in Istanbul have put opposition-run municipalities under mounting scrutiny, with Turkish authorities detailing allegations of tender rigging, money laundering and organized crime involving senior Republican People’s Party (CHP) officials.
In the southern city of Antalya, investigators claim to have uncovered a TL 195 million ($6 million) bribery network linked to Mayor Muhittin Böcek. Businesspeople who won municipal tenders allegedly paid vast sums in kickbacks to secure progress payments and circumvent bureaucratic hurdles.
According to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, much of the illicit cash was routed through a currency exchange in Finike, converted into gold at affiliated jewelry stores and in some cases spent on luxury vehicles registered under straw owners to hide the paper trail.
One businessperson told prosecutors that he personally transferred TL 55 million, while his partner delivered an additional TL 80 million to Böcek. Other bribes, ranging from TL 10 million to TL 35 million, were also linked to the same network.
Prosecutors say the payments were often disguised as currency exchanges or scrap gold sales before being stored in safes or moved offshore.
Seventeen suspects have been detained in coordinated raids, and authorities have requested trustees for a currency exchange and two jewelry stores allegedly involved in the laundering chain.
The revelations in Antalya coincide with an escalating corruption probe in Istanbul, where 13 of 14 targeted suspects were detained on Tuesday.
Those arrested include relatives of Taner Çetin, IBB’s press and public relations chief, who was previously jailed for allegedly directing lucrative tenders to firms tied to himself and suspended Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.
Imamoğlu, a popular figure in the main opposition, was arrested in March along with dozens of municipality employees and businesspeople on charges of corruption. He is accused of running a criminal organization that profits from rigged tenders and rampant bribery in exchange for building and zoning permits, as well as awarding tenders.
The CHP has launched rallies and incited riots after Imamoğlu’s arrest. It claims that Imamoğlu’s arrest is politically motivated, as the party had nominated him for the next presidential election. However, the government argues that the CHP’s claim and pro-Imamoğlu rallies are simply an attempt to cover up the mayor’s alleged wrongdoings, which range from rigging public tenders to taking bribes.
Imamoğlu has denied all allegations in his interrogation, but prosecutors point out a wide array of evidence, from financial irregularities to bribes and money laundering activities. These include reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit (MASAK), technical surveillance data, and testimonies from dozens of witnesses.
Prosecutors accuse Çetin of orchestrating rigged bidding processes that caused substantial public losses and enriched the criminal network led by İmamoğlu.
The charges, which include “membership in a criminal organization,” “tender rigging,” “bribery,” and “aggravated fraud,” stem from allegations that key municipal contracts were steered to politically connected companies, some of which were linked to Imamoğlu’s earlier tenure as Beylikdüzü mayor nearly a decade ago.
According to investigators, these tenders not only excluded rival bidders but also resulted in inflated project costs, fraudulent invoicing and double-billing. Funds were allegedly funneled abroad or used to purchase high-value properties, luxury cars, and other assets under the names of third parties.
The Istanbul and Antalya probes are part of a broader anti-graft campaign, with legal action taken against 220 suspects nationwide, resulting in 37 arrests and judicial controls placed on 150 others.
The allegations have fueled criticism from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has accused the CHP of trying to shield corrupt officials by politicizing the cases and attacking the judiciary and security forces.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdoğan denounced what he called “a policy of destruction” by the opposition and said those seeking to portray suspects as victims were “undermining the nation’s trust.”
Erdoğan also criticized opposition rallies held in support of accused officials, saying they amounted to pressure on the courts. “Especially, no one should try to pressure the judiciary by threatening or insulting them. This is not democracy; it is an attempt to interfere with the rule of law,” he said.
He urged the CHP leadership to “act with even the smallest sense of responsibility toward the state from which they earn their living.”
“They don’t care about press ethics, political accountability, or the reputation of our state,” Erdoğan said. “No matter what you do, you cannot dilute Türkiye’s fight against bribery, criminal organizations and political usurers who seize the people’s property.”
“Regardless of title or political affiliation, those who exploit public office for personal gain will face the full force of the law,” Erdoğan vowed.
