Turkish mayors re-arrested in corruption investigations

Mayor Fikret Albayrak of Akçakoca was released on house arrest and a travel ban on 23 May 2026, but the Düzce Public Prosecutor appealed the decision. A higher court upheld the appeal, and a few hours after his release he was taken into custody again and transferred to a closed prison. The re‑arrest was reported on 18 July 2026.

In a separate case, former Beykoz mayor Alaattin Köseler and several municipal officials were targeted in a bribery and ‘irtikap’ probe. An operation in June led to the detention of six suspects, and a second‑wave raid later resulted in the arrest of additional council members and businessmen.

In Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece district, the trial of mayor Hasan Akgün, deputy Ömer Kazancı and several businessmen continued on 27 September 2026. The court ordered that their pre‑trial detention remain, while one associate, Atahan Bacınoğlu, was granted house arrest.