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Turkish police detained Uskudar Mayor Sinem Dedetas, who leads one of Istanbul's most prominent districts, over allegations of fraud and bribery alongside five others.
Authorities are investigating allegations involving Dedetas, the municipality's deputy mayor, senior advisers, executives at the municipal company Kent A.S., and other officials over alleged irregularities in building and occupancy permit processes.
The Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that Kent A.S., a company owned by Uskudar Municipality, played a central role in coordinating permit procedures despite having no formal legal authority to do so.
According to the investigation, company employees allegedly used an encrypted internal email network and parcel-based tracking tables to direct municipal staff and effectively manage building permit applications.
The prosecutor's office alleges that Kent A.S. signed multiple consultancy agreements worth a combined ₺1 billion ($21 million) with construction companies.
Investigators claim ₺361.4 million of those payments were obtained from developers seeking building permits through pressure, citing complaints from alleged victims along with findings from the provincial directorate responsible for environment, urbanization and climate change.
Sinem Dedetas, 45, has served as mayor of Istanbul's Uskudar district since April 2024 after winning the local election as the candidate of Türkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). She became the district's first female mayor.
The investigation is the latest in a series of corruption probes involving municipalities across Türkiye. Since 2025, prosecutors have opened investigations into several municipalities, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the district municipalities of Besiktas, Beykoz, Sisli, Adalar, Sile, Buca and Seferihisar.
The cases have resulted in numerous detentions and arrests over allegations including bribery, bid rigging, organized crime, money laundering and abuse of office.
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