Key facts
- Turkish police detained Mersin Mayor Vahap Seçer and 58 other suspects on Thursday.
- The investigation targets alleged fraud in public tenders.
- Public losses are alleged to total 330.945 million Turkish liras at Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.
- Mezitli Municipality allegedly caused public losses of 1.010 billion liras.
- Yenişehir Municipality allegedly caused public losses of 105 million liras.
- The detentions are part of a broader legal crackdown on opposition-run municipalities in Turkey.
Turkish police detained Vahap Seçer, the opposition mayor of the southern province of Mersin, along with 58 other suspects on Thursday as part of a corruption investigation. The detentions are linked to alleged fraud in public tenders, according to state-run Anadolu Agency, citing a Mersin Prosecutor's Office statement.
Seçer, a member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was detained alongside the mayors of Yenisehir and Mezitli districts. The investigation alleges that 13 tenders and 63 direct procurement deals at Mersin Metropolitan Municipality caused public losses totaling 330.945 million Turkish liras. Similar allegations of public losses were made against Mezitli Municipality, amounting to 1.010 billion liras, and Yenişehir Municipality, totaling 105 million liras.
This operation is the latest in what is described as an unprecedented legal crackdown on municipalities run by opposition parties in Turkey. Dozens of opposition mayors, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is considered a main rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are currently in jail pending trial on corruption charges. The opposition has rejected the accusations since 2024, asserting that the investigations are politically motivated, while the government maintains the judiciary's independence.
Separately, Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer is reportedly under investigation for allegedly leading an armed criminal organization, suspected of arranging attacks against businesses of individuals with whom he had disputes. The allegations against the detained individuals have not yet been established by a final court ruling.