Turkish authorities arrested 34 suspects, including the current and former mayors of Adana's Çukurova district, in a corruption investigation involving alleged bribery, procurement irregularities and bid-rigging, judicial sources said Friday.
The arrests came as a separate investigation into alleged tender fraud at Milas Municipality in southwestern Muğla province led to 20 suspects, including the district's mayor, being referred to court.
In Adana, a court ordered the arrest of Çukurova Mayor Emrah Kozay, former Mayor Soner Çetin and three deputy mayors, among 34 suspects detained pending trial. The remaining 15 suspects, including another deputy mayor, were released under judicial supervision.
The investigation, launched by the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, centers on allegations of irregularities in municipal tenders and direct procurement procedures between 2024 and 2026.
Prosecutors allege that municipal officials improperly exploited exemptions under Türkiye's Public Procurement Law to facilitate purchases through a municipality-affiliated company.
The investigation also involves allegations that contractors were required to pay bribes to receive payments for completed work and that certain municipal employees collected salaries without reporting for duty.
Authorities are investigating suspected criminal organization activities, bribery, aggravated fraud and bid-rigging.
A three-member panel of experts examined procurement records from 2024 through 2026, producing a report that, alongside other evidence, prompted coordinated operations by provincial gendarmerie units on Oct. 19.
Of the 51 suspects initially targeted, 49 were detained. Authorities are continuing efforts to locate the remaining two.
Çukurova Mayor Kozay had previously announced his resignation from the Republican People's Party (CHP) and said he would continue his political career under the New Party (YP).
Separate probe in Muğla
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Muğla launched a separate investigation into allegations that fraudulent documents were used to obtain work experience certificates for public procurement contracts involving Milas Municipality.
Police detained 35 suspects, including Milas Mayor Fevzi Topuz and his son, identified by the initials D.T., during simultaneous operations across 13 provinces on Oct. 20.
Twenty suspects were referred to court following police questioning, while the remaining 15 were released.
Investigators allege that contracts worth approximately TL 2.58 billion (approximately $52 million) involved work falsely documented as completed.
According to information obtained from the Public Procurement Authority, eight companies allegedly used fraudulent work experience certificates to participate in 25 tenders with a combined value of approximately TL 3.71 billion.