site.btaAuthorities Detain 62 in Izmir’s Buca Municipality Corruption Probe

Authorities in Turkiye detained 62 people, including Buca Mayor Gorkem Duman, in a corruption probe, TRT Haber said on Monday. Duman was elected with backing from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The operation was carried out on suspicion of bribery and embezzlement in office.

Along with Duman, those detained include the former mayor of the municipality and deputy mayors, senior representatives of the political party, officials involved in the alleged embezzlement, as well as municipal employees and contractors. The operation was conducted in coordination with the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The new arrests come after another mayor of an Izmir municipality, Guzelbahce Mayor Mustafa Gunay, was detained on May 26, 2026.

In recent weeks, a number of officials from municipalities governed by the opposition CHP have been detained in similar operations. They include officials from the municipalities of the resort cities of Antalya and Marmaris, Ankara’s Etimesgut Municipality, Istanbul’s Atasehir and Uskudar municipalities, and Usak Municipality. Also detained were Usak Mayor Ozkan Yalim, who was later temporarily suspended from office, and Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, who was temporarily replaced by Sahin Biba, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

This new wave of arrests is part of a large-scale campaign by the Turkish authorities against corruption at local level. The investigations are focused mainly on municipalities governed by the CHP, with dozens of municipal officials and a total of 22 mayors detained in the course of these actions since 2024. They include the removed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is currently in Silivri Prison. A major trial against him and 407 other defendants has been underway since March 9.