Kara, detained on July 4 with 34 others, faces bribery, abuse of office, and embezzlement charges. On July 8, he and 30 other suspects were brought to Manavgat Courthouse following police interrogations. A video purportedly showing Deputy Mayor Mehmet Engin Tüter accepting a 110,000-euro bribe concealed in a pastry box led to his arrest alongside Municipal Council member Burak Çeker. Tüter admitted to taking the money but claimed it was a commission, not municipal funds. The probe, triggered by a contractor’s tip, has resulted in 41 detentions, with two suspects still at large.
In a parallel investigation tied to the alleged “Aziz İhsan Aktaş crime syndicate,” Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were detained. Karalar, held for four days, was referred for arrest, while Tutdere was placed under house arrest. Karalar rejected bribery allegations, labeling the operation politically motivated and emphasizing his 12-year record as an upright official.
In Büyükçekmece, Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin, appointed after Mayor Hasan Akgün’s detention, faces arrest following accusations from a businessman benefiting from Turkey’s leniency laws. Şahin denied the claims, asserting his routine presence in areas cited as evidence was part of his duties.
The CHP, which secured significant victories in the 2024 local elections, contends these arrests are a deliberate attempt to weaken opposition-led municipalities. CHP leader Özgür Özel condemned the crackdown, promising accountability and hinting at early elections on November 2. Since March 2025, 17 CHP-run municipalities have faced raids or probes, including the high-profile imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Critics, including international observers, warn that these arrests, combined with media blackouts on opposition outlets like Halk TV, signal deepening authoritarianism. With investigations ongoing, the opposition braces for further political turmoil.