Bribery operation at Etimesgut Municipality: 25 detained

The Ankara West Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime Investigation Bureau issued detention orders for 25 people, including municipal deputy mayors Fikret Gözüoğlu and Gültekin Bayındır, in connection with an investigation based on allegations of irregularities in municipal tenders and unlawful benefits derived from construction-permit procedures at Etimesgut Municipality. The operation was conducted by the Ankara Provincial Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Division; in simultaneous raids carried out in five provinces centered on Ankara, all 25 suspects were apprehended.

The suspects face charges including forming and membership in a criminal organization, embezzlement, bribery, misconduct in office, rigging of tenders, and tampering with contract performance. The investigation file includes reports from the Court of Accounts, analyses from MASAK and HTS, as well as audio and video recordings as evidence; suspect statements taken under provisions for active remorse were also added to the file.

This is not the first operation targeting Etimesgut. In a previous investigation launched by the Ankara West Public Prosecutor's Office against the same municipality, 39 suspects were arrested. With the new wave of operations, the total number of arrests and detentions reached 64. According to the investigation file, it is alleged that 2 million TL was demanded for permit procedures; search and seizure operations continue at the suspects' residences.