More arrests in Istanbul mayor's office over corruption

The fight against corruption in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, is intensifying. The Prosecutor General's Office has approved the issuance of arrest warrants for 47 people who worked at the city's mayor's office. All of them are accused of bribery, extortion and abuse of power, Haberturk TV reported.

The arrests are reportedly part of a wider investigation into former mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. This is reportedly the fifth wave of arrests in the corruption case.

City leaders also arrested

According to official data, 31 people have been arrested so far. Among them are high-ranking officials from the Beşiktaş and Büyükçekmece districts. In particular, Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgun and his entourage were exposed for exerting pressure on businessmen. They demanded that the construction permits be given as a "gift" in the form of villas, apartments, or "donations" to the local basketball team.

The investigation also revealed that if the demand was not met, various obstacles were created for the construction activities of businessmen.

Serious accusations against the former mayor

As part of the investigation in March, the former mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was also accused of fraud in the amount of 560 billion Turkish liras, abuse of office, and collaboration with the terrorist organization, the Kurdistan Workers' Party. He was removed from office and arrested.

At the same time, the investigative authorities continue to question new witnesses, analyze financial documents, and conduct checks on the legality of assets. The Turkish public is following this case with great interest.

Conclusion: The process of political and legal cleansing continues in Istanbul. The answer to how many more candidates will be investigated in the next steps may be known soon.

Photo: Adem Kutucu