Turkish anti‑corruption probes freeze assets of Buca mayor and seek decades‑long sentences for Bursa mayor

A wide‑ranging corruption investigation coordinated by the İzmir prosecutor’s office has led to the seizure of property belonging to Buca mayor Görkem Duman, former mayor Erhan Kılıç and other officials. The court ordered a precautionary lock on real estate, company shares, bank accounts and luxury vehicles while the case proceeds.

In a separate but similarly high‑profile case, prosecutors in Bursa have filed a 862‑page indictment against 63 defendants, including Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and former Nilüfer mayor Turgay Erdem. The indictment seeks prison terms of up to 402 years for Bozbey and 946 years for Erdem on charges of organized crime, bribes, money‑laundering and illegal planning approvals. Authorities allege a “single‑signature” scheme that concentrated zoning authority and facilitated multi‑million‑lira bribes through shell companies.

Both investigations highlight extensive alleged misuse of municipal power and financial misconduct across major Turkish cities.