Opposition Mayor Arrested in Turkey Amid Bid-Rigging Investigation
In a significant development on Monday, the mayor of Besiktas, a prominent stronghold for Turkey’s opposition, was apprehended in connection with an investigation into alleged bid-rigging activities, according to prosecutors in Istanbul.
Riza Akpolat, who leads the municipality located on the European side of Istanbul, was taken into custody at his vacation home in Edremit, a town situated on the western coast of Turkey, as reported by a private news agency.
Besiktas has been under the governance of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), for a considerable period. The area is not only a key entertainment hub but also home to the well-known soccer team that shares its name.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office disclosed that a criminal group purportedly manipulated tender processes by bribing municipal mayors and senior officials, ensuring that their own companies emerged as winners of the contracts.
Ozgur Ozel, the CHP chairman, criticized the arrest, calling it “a new link in the chain of lawlessness within the politicized justice system,” and promised to support Akpolat throughout the legal proceedings.
In a related comment, Ekrem Imamoglu, the CHP mayor of Istanbul, condemned the early morning raid on Akpolat’s residence, asserting that it was aimed at shaping public opinion negatively.
The prosecutor’s office indicated that a three-month-long investigation culminated in the issuance of arrest warrants for 47 individuals, including Akpolat and Ahmet Ozer, the CHP mayor from Istanbul’s Esenyurt district.
Notably, Ozer has been incarcerated since October, facing charges related to his alleged affiliations with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The investigation into the bid-rigging scheme was reportedly spearheaded by Aziz Ihsan Aktas, with prosecutors revealing that he and 24 others were detained on a series of serious charges, including the establishment and operation of a criminal organization, bribery, bid-rigging, tax violations, and money laundering.
As a precaution, law enforcement set up barriers around the Besiktas municipal offices, conducting searches and verifying the identities of staff before granting them access.
At just 42 years old, Akpolat was elected mayor of Besiktas in 2019, securing nearly 75% of the vote in a notable election campaign after previously running for parliament with the CHP, although without success.
Alongside other municipal officers, he faces accusations of involvement in a criminal organization, bid-rigging, bribery, and illegal acquisition of property.
Since the opposition parties reclaimed control of several major cities across Turkey in the 2019 elections—and successfully defended their positions in the subsequent local elections in 2022—there has been a substantial increase in the arrest and removal of local officials. The pro-Kurdish party members particularly have been frequent targets, often facing allegations related to the PKK.
On the same Monday, two co-mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) were detained, awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges. Meanwhile, a government-appointed trustee has been assigned to oversee the Akdeniz municipality located in Mersin, on Turkey’s southern coast.
