Latest corruption op targets Istanbul’s bus authority
ISTANBUL
Turkish authorities on July 29 launched fresh operations as part of a corruption investigation targeting the Istanbul Municipality, with the head of the city’s public bus services authority among new detainees.
Authorities detained 22 individuals during raids conducted not only in Istanbul but also in the southern city of Antalya, the northwestern provinces of Bursa and Çanakkale and the northern cities of Giresun and Trabzon.
Among the detainees was İrfan Demet, a former military officer appointed in 2023 as the head of Istanbul’s mass transit authority, İETT.
Along with him, several high-ranking İETT officials — tasked with managing public transportation in Türkiye’s largest city — were detained. Three suspects are still at large, according to the media.
The group is suspected of engaging in corrupt dealings related to tenders issued by İETT and İSFALT, the asphalt production unit under Istanbul Municipality.
The operation came after İSFALT General Manager Burak Korzay was released after benefiting from the “effective remorse law” and cooperating with prosecutors.
Following this latest crackdown, the total number of suspects linked to the investigation has reached 355, with more than 100 currently jailed pre-trial.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been imprisoned since late March, along with several other district mayors and top officials.
The ongoing investigation, which began in 2024, previously resulted in the arrest of businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who later entered into a cooperation agreement with prosecutors in exchange for a reduced sentence served under house arrest.
