Istanbul in turmoil: Main opposition mayor of one of megacity's biggest districts detained

As part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into a crime syndicate, Rıza Akpolat, the CHP-affiliated mayor of Istanbul's Beşiktaş district, was taken into custody. In response, the CHP initiated a protest in front of the municipal building.

Duvar English

Turkish authorities on Jan. 13 detained main-opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Beşiktaş District Mayor Rıza Akpolat.

In Istanbul, a criminal investigation was launched against “a profit-driven crime syndicate” allegedly led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş. The group was accused of bribing mayors and senior municipal officials to manipulate bidding processes, ensuring contracts were awarded to their own companies. 

As part of the investigation, arrest warrants were issued for 47 individuals, including former Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer and Beşiktaş Mayor Akpolat. Özer was previously arrested due to a previous investigation and replaced with a trustee. 

Akpolat is serving as Beşiktaş Mayor since 2019.

In a statement by the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office, it was announced that a detention warrant had been issued for a total of 10 suspects from the municipality, including the mayor along with, the chair and members of Beşiktaş Municipality's company Beltaş. 

The charges against theBeşiktaş Municipality officers included membership in a criminal organization, bid rigging, and illicit enrichment.

Among those detained is Ahmet Aktaş, a member of the board of directors of BELTAŞ and the brother of Deputy Interior Minister Mehmet Aktaş.

Who is Aziz İhsan Aktaş?

In a statement from the prosecutor's office, it was noted that based on witness testimonies, collected evidence, and expert reports regarding 12 municipal officials, including the detained Esenyurt Mayor Özer, involvement of a crime syndicate in tenders led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş had been identified.

According to the allegations, Aktaş held meetings with Esenyurt Municipality officials at the municipal building during the tender preparation process, intervened in cost estimates and specifications, and accessed confidential documents to manipulate the tenders in their favor. 

The allegations that led to the arrest warrants are centered around two companies named Bilginay and İçkale. 

Bilginay is a company that has won large public tenders from various state institutions. and operates in fields such as maintenance and repair, vehicle rental, logistics, and personnel supply. 

Some of the institutions Bilginay has served included the Electricity Generation Corporation (EÜAŞ), the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority (TAPDK), the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ), the Court of Cassation, the Turkish Parliament, and many public hospitals.

Bilginay, which has won numerous tenders from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, also provided services to Istanbul Natural Gas Distribution (İGDAŞ) and Istanbul Public Transport Authority (İETT).

In addition to Istanbul, Bilginay has been awarded tenders and provided services to several municipalities, including those from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Özel, İmamoğlu attends protest

After the detention of their mayor, the main-opposition CHP began a "democracy vigil" in front of Beşiktaş Municipality building. CHP Chair Özgür Özel and Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also participated in the vigil.

Özel, İmamoğlu, and other party officials attend the protest in front of the municipality building.

Speaking to the crowd gathered in front of the municipality, İmamoğlu stated, "The issue is not just Esenyurt or Beşiktaş. The issue is, of course, much larger. It is the approach of an authoritarian mindset, a way of walking a path influenced by an authoritarian perspective."

He further added, "This is a step taken out of the fear of losing Istanbul and, eventually, losing Turkey tomorrow. There is no other explanation for this."

Despite the relative success of the ruling coalition in the general election, AKP has lost the majority of the votes and many municipalities in the 2024 local elections.

After İmamoğlu, CHP leader Özel took the stage and pointed to Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor, Akın Gürlek, whom he had referred to as the "mobile guillotine."

Özel stated, "What is being attempted is not a search for justice or questioning. It is an attempt at discrediting, with instructions coming from the top of the state in Ankara. Let all of Turkey see this. The goal is character assassination."

Özel continued, "The 'mobile guillotine' I referred to, the one that has been used for years whenever an injustice needs to be done to an opponent, is the same one that has been moved from court to court because they couldn't find another executioner to strike the head of any dissent. That mobile guillotine took action this morning as well."

In the last elections, Akpolat received 64.12 percent of the votes while his closest opponent received 13.66 percent.

Since the March 31, 2024 local elections, the government appointed trustees to a total of 9 municipalities, including seven from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and two from the CHP.