Turkish opposition actor-turned mayor detained in corruption probe

Istanbul (dpa/AP) - Turkish police detained a prominent opposition mayor and former television actor on Thursday as part of a widening corruption investigation.

Erdal Beşikçioğlu, mayor of Ankara's Etimesgut district, was detained along with 51 others in an investigation into alleged irregularities in public tenders and document forgery, state news agency Anadolu reported.

Beşikçioğlu, 56, rose to fame for his role as homicide detective Behzat Ç in the hit Turkish television series of the same name before entering politics.

He was elected mayor for the opposition CHP in the 2024 local elections.

Latest in a series

The detention is the latest in a series of investigations targeting opposition municipalities since the CHP's strong performance in the 2024 local elections.

Opposition says the cases are politically motivated, while the government denies interfering in the judiciary.

Erdal Beşikçioğlu is being investigated for allegations of irregularities and forgery in municipal tenders, the Justice Ministry said in a statement. Investigators are also examining parking lot leasing schemes and construction zoning permissions.

He was elected mayor in 2024 with the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, in an election where the opposition strengthened its grip on major cities, including Ankara and Istanbul.

Hundreds of elected mayors and other officials have been arrested in the past two years as part of criminal investigations, mostly into alleged corruption, in operations targeting opposition-run municipalities. 

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul widely considered the strongest potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has also been arrested and imprisoned since March last year. He faces criminal cases that could result in decades-long sentences.

Government insists courts are impartial

Erdoğan's government insists that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.

Some 42 municipal officials and 13 company representatives were targeted in Thursday's dawn raids across nine provinces overseen by the Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Justice Ministry said. Three deputy mayors were also arrested.

The suspects are being held on charges of establishing and running a criminal organization; membership in a criminal organization; embezzlement; bribery; extortion; and tender-rigging.

Police detained 52 suspects and conducted searches at 71 locations, including homes and offices. Documents and digital materials were seized during the raids, the ministry's statement added.

In May, the leadership of the CHP was removed by court order, prompting the formation of the New Party by deposed party head Özgür Özel last Friday. Ninety CHP legislators quit the CHP for the New Party, making it the largest opposition group in parliament.