İzmir cooperative scandal trial continues with mayoral figures Soyer and Kaya defiant

A court case concerning alleged fraud and embezzlement at İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi’s subsidiary İZBETON AŞ is ongoing. Former İzmir mayor Tunç Soyer, CHP İzmir provincial chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu and former İZBETON general manager Heval Savaş Kaya are among the defendants accused of “falsifying tender procedures” and “qualified fraud.” In their latest hearing, Soyer cited MASAK reports to claim innocence, while Aslanoğlu denounced procedural irregularities and alleged political pressure. The tribunal postponed the session to 16 October, maintaining the defendants’ pre‑trial detention conditions. İzmir mayor Cemil Tugay, reacting to Kaya’s public accusations, warned that Kaya’s remarks exceeded acceptable defensive bounds and stressed the need for evidence‑based scrutiny of municipal resource use. No release has been granted for Soyer or Kaya, and the investigation remains active.