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The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into allegations that public losses occurred in expenditures on concerts organized by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality between 2021 and 2024.
Ankara municipality has been governed by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) member Mayor Mansur Yavas since 2019.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, based on the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report, along with other state institutions, it was determined that the administration incurred a loss of ₺154 million ($3.7 million) in the procurement of 32 concert services.
Within this scope, detention orders were issued against 13 suspects—including executives of the Metropolitan Municipality’s Department of Culture and Social Affairs at the time, as well as owners and partners of companies that organized the concerts—on charges of “misconduct in office” and “rigging public tenders.”
The suspects were taken into custody in simultaneous operations by the Ankara Provincial Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit and will be referred to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office following processing.
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Meanwhile, Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavas, commenting on the operation against the municipality, said: "They will all go and give their statements, and experts will investigate. There are precedents in this matter. A Tarkan concert was held in the same place a month ago. It should be compared to its price."
Emphasizing that concerts were also part of the Culture Route event, Yavas added: "We need to look at how much was spent on each concert. By looking at similar cases, we can determine whether there is public loss or not."
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