District mayor under scrutiny for allegedly financing clandestine relationship with bribes, according to accusations by the CHP.
In a shocking turn of events, Rıza Akpolat, the former mayor of Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district from Türkiye’s CHP, is accused of using bribe money collected from municipal business tenders to fund personal and media-related expenses connected to his extramarital affair and subsequent marriage.
Akpolat allegedly established a private municipal fund from these bribes to pay for hotel stays, business-class flights, and even U.S. trips for Yeşim Ağırman (the woman involved in the affair) and her family, including her two daughters. These expenses were meticulously recorded in a list submitted by a municipal staff member after Akpolat's arrest in January 2025.
The affair and the related misuse of funds came to light alongside the broader corruption scandal implicating Akpolat and others[1]. Ağırman, formerly affiliated with the CHP women’s branch, married Akpolat in 2024 shortly after their affair and divorces from their previous spouses became public. Notably, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, who faced his own corruption charges, officiated their wedding[1].
The list of expenses for Ağırman and her family was recorded in detail and submitted to the authorities after Akpolat's arrest. No detailed breakdown of media expenses was found, but the reported bribe money was predominantly used for personal travel and accommodations related to Akpolat's affair and family care costs[1].
The former mayor also covered private expenses of his parents, former wife, and his own wedding, totaling TL 10.82 million (approximately $266,000) from the same bribery fund. The list of funded journalists and media outlets also includes payments to unspecified individuals and entities for "services" totaling TL 1.3 million.
Turkish media reports suggest that the same bribery fund was used to support journalists favorable to the CHP, with a total expenditure of TL 56 million. Nevşin Mengu, Altan Sancar, Ali Haydar Fırat, Ismail Kuçükkaya, Halk TV, and Tele 1 are among the pro-CHP journalists and media outlets funded by the bribery fund.
The arrest was in relation to accusations of benefiting from the municipality's lucrative public tenders in exchange for bribes. Akpolat used a "municipal fund" made of bribes for hotel stays and plane tickets for Ağırman and her family. The list shows that the former mayor used the bribery fund to cover a wide range of expenses, including personal, political, and media-related expenses.
As the investigation continues, the full extent of Akpolat's alleged misuse of funds and the involvement of other parties in the corruption scandal remains to be seen.
[1] Source: Various Turkish news outlets, including Habertürk, Milliyet, and CNN Türk.
The corruption scandal implicating Rıza Akpolat extends beyond personal expenses, also involving media outlets favorable to his party, the CHP, to the tune of TL 56 million. This general-news story highlights the use of a "municipal fund" made of bribes, not just for hotel stays and plane tickets for Akpolat's lover, but also for political and media-related expenses in Istanbul's politics and business landscape.
