Two deputy mayors and five others detained in Ankara municipal corruption probe

A court in Ankara sentenced seven people, including Deputy Mayors Gültekin Bayındır and Fikret Gözüoğlu, to pre-trial jail while four others were ordered to remain under house arrest. The charges stem from a probe into alleged forged documents, irregularities in municipal contracts and improper benefits tied to parking lot leases, zoning decisions and construction permits in Etimesgut, which is governed by the opposition CHP.

Prosecutors allege offenses ranging from bribery and embezzlement to forming a criminal organization and rigging tenders. Nine detainees provided statements under a leniency scheme, and prosecutors have asked for continued judicial oversight of five suspects. This detention follows earlier arrests of Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu and numerous municipal employees, part of a broader series of investigations into opposition-run local governments.