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Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey was detained on Tuesday along with 54 other suspects in simultaneous operations across five provinces centered on Bursa.
The operations were part of a Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office investigation into alleged bribery, money laundering, membership in a criminal organization, and zoning violations during his tenure as Nilufer District Mayor, authorities announced.
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The Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that simultaneous operations were carried out on Tuesday in Bursa, Istanbul, Balikesir and Diyarbakir by the Bursa Provincial Security Directorate's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch.
Of 59 suspects targeted, 55 were detained. Four suspects remain at large with capture operations ongoing.
Bozbey's wife and daughter were also detained. Former Nilufer Mayor Turgay Erdem, who is already under arrest, was also among the suspects named in the investigation.
Searches and seizures were carried out at 51 residences, 23 companies and business premises and one foundation address, as well as in vehicles used by the suspects. Searches were also conducted at the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality building.
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The prosecutor's office said the investigation established that Bozbey and Erdem, during their respective tenures as Nilufer district mayor, provided irregular floor area ratio increases in construction projects in exchange for bribes, generating financial benefits for themselves and project owners.
The charges include establishing and leading a criminal organization for the purpose of committing crimes, membership in a criminal organization, bribery, laundering proceeds of crime and causing zoning pollution.
"The investigation is being conducted meticulously by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and the public will be informed of the progress and outcome of the investigation," the statement said.
Bozbey, who won the Bursa mayoral seat in the March 31, 2024, local elections with 47% of the vote, leads Türkiye’s fourth-largest city.
With a population of 3.2 million, Bursa serves as a critical industrial hub.
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