site.btaAnother Opposition Mayor Detained in Turkiye over Alleged Connections to Criminal Organization

Another mayor of Turkiye's main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Riza Akpolat, has been detained. Akpolat heads the Istanbul municipality of Besiktas, CHP's oldest municipality, Turkish media reported on Monday.

Akpolat was detained in Balikesir by order of the republican prosecution service in Istanbul within an investigation against a criminal organization. Also detained within the investigation were 47 people from Besiktas municipality.

According to Haberler's information, the investigation has found that the leader of a crime group, Aziz Ihsan Aktas, rigged public tenders, bribing mayors and senior executives of municipalities and ensuring the companies of those who had paid him were awarded the tenders.

The order for Besiktas Mayor's arrest read that he has been charged with membership in a criminal organization, bid-rigging, and illegally acquired property.

Teams of the Istanbul police with the financial crimes unit searched Akpolat's office in the municipality.

Police teams control the entry and exit points of Besiktas, the Birgun daily reported.

Akpolat is the second opposition mayor in Istanbul to be detained lately. Several months ago, Ahmet Ozer, Mayor of Istanbul's Esenyurt municipality, was arrested together with 12 employees on charges of corruption during bidding, acceptance of bribes, and connections with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel described Akpolat's arrest as nothing more than powerlessness on the authorities' part.