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The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has requested authorization from the Interior Ministry to launch an investigation into Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavas in connection with a probe into municipal concert contracts.
The prosecutor's office is seeking permission to investigate both Yavas and his Chief of Staff Nevzat Uzunoglu as part of an ongoing inquiry into concert procurement practices at the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.
Yavas, who is known for his reputation for integrity, addressed the development in comments to Sozcu Media Group's Ankara Representative Saygi Ozturk. "I just learned about the issue, but I don't have much information about its content. I will examine the matter in more detail tomorrow morning," Yavas said.
The mayor indicated he would respond with a written statement on Friday regarding allegations that he would be included in the investigation.
When concerns about the concert investigation first emerged, Yavas had appointed inspectors who determined there was no public financial loss. However, prosecutors reached a different conclusion based on expert reports.
According to an expert witness report, an investigation by the Interior Ministry's Civil Service Inspectorate, a review by MASAK (Türkiye's Financial Crimes Investigation Board), and an audit by the Court of Accounts, authorities determined that the municipality suffered losses of 154,453,221.60 liras (~$3,6M) in the procurement of 32 concerts.
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On Sept. 23, 14 suspects — including former municipal bureaucrats and company officials — were detained on charges of "abuse of office" and "bid rigging."
Following police processing, the suspects were brought to Ankara Courthouse, where they gave statements to the public prosecutor before being referred to a criminal judgeship of peace. Five suspects were arrested on charges of "embezzlement" and "rigging public institution tenders," while nine were released under judicial supervision.
Under Turkish law, prosecutors must obtain permission from the Interior Ministry before opening investigations into elected mayors.
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