Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan and 18 Officials Trialed for Corruption

A court in Bolu opened the first hearing of a high‑profile corruption case involving 19 defendants, including mayor Tanju Özcan, deputy mayor Süleyman Can, and several municipal officials. The 178‑page indictment filed by the Bolu Chief Prosecutor lists charges of extortion, attempted extortion, bribery, qualified fraud, violations of the Foundations and Associations Law, and related offenses. Prosecutors are seeking sentences ranging from 27 years to more than 260 years in prison, with a cumulative request of up to 263 years for Özcan. The trial was held in the gymnasium of Bolu Social Sciences High School under tight security; Özcan was transferred from Ankara’s Sincan prison to a Bolu F‑type facility for the hearing. Some detained officials, such as Leyla Beykoz and Aydan Özdemir, have been placed under house arrest or released.

The proceedings mark a major step in a nationwide anti‑corruption drive targeting local government officials, highlighting extensive alleged misuse of public funds and illicit payments tied to construction permits and charitable foundations.