Mayor Muhittin Bocek of Antalya is in custody following a corruption investigation.
In a significant development on July 5, 2025, Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Bocek was formally arrested as part of a bribery investigation led by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The probe involves three suspects and centers on two separate bribery allegations.
The investigation details include an alleged demand by Bocek's son, M.G. Bocek, during the 2024 local election period for 25 million Turkish liras (about $625,000) from a businessman (Y.Y.). When the full amount was not provided, an agreement for 8.5 million Turkish liras (about $212,500) was reportedly made in exchange for vehicle advertising services. Additionally, there is an allegation that M.G. Bocek purchased a house worth 30 million liras in the name of Bocek's former daughter-in-law, identified as Z.K., with payments made by the same businessman, documented by Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK).
Bocek's arrest comes amid a wider crackdown on opposition figures, with two other mayors from southern Turkey—Adiyaman's Abdurrahman Tutdere and Adana's Zeydan Karalar—also arrested on charges including bribery, organized crime, and bid-rigging. These arrests follow the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier in 2025 and are seen by the main opposition CHP as politically motivated efforts by President Erdogan's government to suppress dissent.
Searches and seizures were carried out by the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch at the suspects' residences, and prosecutors have conducted extensive investigations as part of this ongoing probe. Bocek was arrested after giving his statement to the prosecutor, while Z.K. was released under judicial control with a travel ban imposed.
In her statement, Z.K. said she was unaware of the financial arrangements behind the apartment purchase. She also mentioned that M.G. Bocek had no regular employment but frequently visited the municipality. Call records indicate multiple meetings between M.G. Bocek and businessman Y.Y. ahead of the elections.
The investigation file is part of a criminal network probe, and both Bocek and Z.K. were referred to court following police interrogations and medical checkups. M.G. Bocek, who is currently abroad, is also under a detention order. The Pro-Kurdish DEM Party has spoken out against the detention of main opposition CHP mayors.
This development in the bribery investigation involving Mayor Bocek and his family members and a businessman is occurring within a broader political context in Turkey. The arrests of opposition mayors are seen as a continuation of a broader crackdown on opposition figures, raising concerns about political motivations and freedom of opposition in the country.
- The Pro-Kurdish DEM Party has expressed opposition to the detention of Mayor Muhittin Bocek, a member of the Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), who was arrested as part of a bribery investigation involving 25 million Turkish liras (about $625,000) and a house worth 30 million liras.
- This investigation, centered in southern Turkey, also implicates Adiyaman's Abdurrahman Tutdere and Adana's Zeydan Karalar, who have also been arrested on charges including bribery, organized crime, and bid-rigging. These arrests have been seen as politically motivated efforts by President Erdogan's government to suppress dissent, as they follow the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier in 2025.
- The Pro-Kurdish DEM Party's criticism of the arrests and the ongoing bribery investigation comes amidst the broader political context in Turkey, where concerns about politically motivated actions, motivated suppression of dissent, and freedom of opposition within the country continue to raise general-news and crime-and-justice issues.
