Prosecutors seek 18-year sentences in Ankara concert probe

ANKARA

Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of up to 18 years for 14 people accused of misconduct and tender rigging in connection with concert spending by the Ankara Municipality between 2021 and 2024.

The suspects — including former municipal officials such as department heads and branch managers, as well as business owners — were detained on Sept. 26 as part of an investigation led by the chief prosecutor’s office in Ankara. Five of the suspects remain in custody.

Prosecutors allege that irregularities in the procurement of 32 concert services resulted in more than 154 million Turkish Liras ($3.69 million) in public losses. The municipality has denied the allegations.

“As soon as the incident was discovered, we immediately applied to the inspection board and requested a detailed investigation,” Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş said at a Sept. 24 press conference. “The investigation was conducted, and a report was prepared stating that there was no public harm.”

Yavaş also criticized the expert panel that concluded public losses occurred, claiming that its members “were not involved in the matter.”