Istanbul municipality procurement scandal leads to detention request for 33 suspects

Turkish prosecutors investigating the alleged "İmamoğlu criminal organization" have asked a magistrate court to order the detention of 33 individuals linked to irregularities in public tenders run by Boğaziçi Tesis Yönetim Hizmetleri A.Ş., a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). The suspects were arrested during coordinated raids on May 18 in Istanbul, Adana, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Konya and Yalova, bringing the total number of detainees to 60. Prosecutors say the fraud involved "tampering with procurement" and was organized as a criminal group. After health checks, the suspects were transferred to the Istanbul Çağlayan Courthouse, where the court was asked to keep 33 in custody and place the remaining 27 under judicial control. Names of several accused, including Ahmet Sırtlı, Sabri Bakır and Büşra Emen, were released.

The operation was conducted by the Istanbul Police Financial Crimes Division and is part of a broader probe into claims that municipal tenders were manipulated for personal gain, potentially implicating the mayor’s political network.