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The Turkish Interior Ministry announced the dismissal of five opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) mayors following their arrest on corruption charges as part of ongoing investigations targeting opposition party CHP-controlled municipalities.
The Interior Ministry announced that mayors from Avcilar, Buyukcekmece, Gaziosmanpasa, Ceyhan and Seyhan municipalities have been removed from their positions as a temporary measure under Article 127 of the Constitution and Article 47 of the Municipal Law.
The dismissed mayors are:
According to the Interior Ministry statement, the mayors face various corruption-related charges following investigations by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Caykara faces charges of "extortion through coercion," while Akgun is charged with "accepting bribes and extortion through coercion."
Bahcetepe faces "accepting bribes" charges, and both Aydar and Tekin are charged with "extortion through coercion."
The mayors were arrested following decisions by Istanbul criminal courts on June 3. The arrests were made as part of investigations numbered 2024/236201 and 2025/76021 by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of Peace issued arrest warrants for Caykara, Aydar, and Tekin, while Istanbul 6th Criminal Court of Peace ordered Akgun's arrest, and Istanbul 11th Criminal Court of Peace issued the warrant for Bahcetepe.
The dismissals come amid ongoing corruption investigations targeting Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) and its former mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested and suspended from his position.
In a related development, Turkish prosecutors have launched investigations against CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel for threatening statements he made during a rally in Gaziosmanpasa district, where he targeted Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an ex officio investigation against Ozel on charges of "threatening a judicial officer to prevent them from performing their duties" and "public insult to a public official for their duties."
Additionally, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched a separate investigation against Ozel on charges of "incitement to commit crime," "insult to public official," and "threat" for the same rally remarks.
During the rally, Ozel made direct threats against prosecutor Gurlek, saying "Akin, you hit a hard rock, son. Get your act together. I will not see that indignity again" and threatening to "make both the one who takes and the one who orders it a thousand times sorry."
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