The mayor of the Turkish city of İzmit, east of Istanbul, has been detained along with her husband during a police raid on the municipal administration, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Monday, DPA reports.
Anadolu also reported that 30 other detention orders had been issued. The mayor, Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet, and the others are accused of forming a criminal organization, accepting bribes and manipulating public procurement tenders.
At the same time, authorities carried out raids in Antalya, Kırıkkale, Istanbul, and Ankara.
The raids are reported to focus on municipal procurement contracts in İzmit, where authorities suspect nepotism and favouritism. The investigation was reportedly initiated based on information provided by anonymous witnesses.
Hürriyet is a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's largest opposition party. She defeated the candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the 2019 local elections and was re-elected in 2024.
In a video recorded during her detention, Hürriyet said she had done nothing wrong.
For months, municipalities governed by the CHP have been under increasing pressure. Numerous raids and detentions have been carried out over allegations of corruption. The CHP argues that these actions constitute a politically motivated campaign by the government against the opposition.
The government, however, maintains that Turkey's judiciary is independent and denies any political involvement in the investigations.
