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Istanbul district mayor detained in probe targeting the opposition
Turkish authorities have detained 40 people, including İnan Güney, the opposition mayor of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, in what the government calls a widening anti-corruption investigation into companies linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB).
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said warrants had been issued for 44 individuals in total, accusing them of involvement in fraud, bribery, abuse of office, and unlawful acquisition of personal data. Those detained include Güney’s chief of staff, his bodyguard, the head of his press office, senior figures at two municipal companies—Medya A.Ş, which manages the municipality’s media operations, and Kültür A.Ş, responsible for cultural events and venues—and Yiğit Oğuz Duman, a senior adviser to Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Prosecutors claim the suspects were tied to what they describe as a “criminal organisation” allegedly run by İmamoğlu’s jailed spokesman Murat Ongun and a fugitive, Emrah Bağdatlı. Nine are accused of running the group’s social media operations.
Among the 35 suspects, including Güney, are figures associated with Medya A.Ş and Kültür A.Ş, said to have been involved in multiple fraudulent activities within the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Charges cited include running a criminal organisation for financial gain, bribery, abuse of office, defrauding public institutions, and unlawful acquisition of personal data.
The arrests came just a week after jailed businessman Murat Kapki gave a new statement on August 7, accusing Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney of having close ties to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and of profiting from the city’s billboard and outdoor advertising business. He alleged that Güney maintained influence over municipal advertising allocations despite serving as mayor, and highlighted his relationship with Serkan Öztürk, a suspect he said acted as an intermediary in awarding contracts to preferred firms.It is important to note however, that Kapki has also alleged that, while in........
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