The Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s primary opposition get together, condemned the arrest as politically motivated, and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu known as it an try and affect public opinion.
The mayor of Beşiktaş, a key opposition stronghold in Istanbul, was arrested on Monday as a part of an investigation into bid rigging, in response to the Istanbul prosecutor’s workplace.
Rıza Akpolat, mayor of the municipality on Istanbul’s European facet, was arrested at his summer time residence in Edremit on Turkey’s west coast, nationwide media reported.
Beşiktaş, ruled by the primary opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), is a serious leisure middle and residential to the well-known soccer membership of the identical identify.
“A prison group… organized the tenders by bribing mayors and senior municipal leaders, guaranteeing that their very own corporations received the tenders,” Istanbul’s chief prosecutor’s workplace stated.
CHP President Özgür Özel condemned the arrest as “a brand new hyperlink within the chain of lawlessness within the politicized justice system” and pledged to assist Akpolat.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu additionally criticized the transfer, calling it an try and affect public opinion.
“The process of those that don’t have any authorized intention can’t be authorized,” he stated.
The prosecutor’s workplace revealed {that a} three-month investigation led to arrest warrants for 47 folks, together with Akpolat and Ahmet Özer, the CHP mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district.
Özer has been in custody since October for alleged hyperlinks to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Authorities allege that the bid-rigging scheme was orchestrated by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who, together with 24 different suspects, was arrested on fees together with forming and working a prison group, bribery, bid-rigging , tax legislation violations and cash laundering.
Police positioned obstacles round Beşiktaş municipal workplaces whereas looking out Akpolat’s workplace and checked workers’ identification earlier than granting entry.
Elected mayor in 2019 with nearly 75% of the vote, Akpolat is accused of belonging to a prison group, bid rigging, corruption and illicit acquisition of property.
After the opposition’s important victories in Turkey’s 2019 native elections – which it efficiently defended in final yr’s polls – opposition municipal officers have confronted frequent arrests and dismissals.
While members of the pro-Kurdish get together have been the primary targets because of alleged hyperlinks to the PKK.
Two co-mayors of the pro-Kurdish Party for Equality and People’s Democracy (DEM) have been held in custody on Monday awaiting trial on terrorism-related fees.
Additional sources • AP
