Thirty-two individuals who expressed regret in connection with the corruption scandal under IBB have been set free.
Corruption Allegations Rock Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
A series of shocking revelations have emerged in an ongoing corruption investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), run by the CHP. The investigation, which began in 2024, has been fuelled by the testimony of Burak Korzay, the former general manager of IBB's asphalt production subsidiary, ISFALT.
Korzay's statements allege a covert "system" of coercion and illicit payments at the heart of the corruption probe. He claims that tenders, especially at ISFALT, were manipulated by senior IBB officials, including Deputy Secretary General Arif Gürkan Alpay and Fatih Keleş. Korzay describes how projects without real financial backing were approved merely to generate unofficial revenue, with insider knowledge shared informally to favor certain companies.
This testimony forms part of a broader probe that has resulted in the detention or arrest of multiple municipal officials and associates, including İrfan Demet, head of IETT (the Istanbul public transport authority), and executives from ISFALT, across several provinces. The investigation is based on the confessions of Aziz Ihsan Aktas, a businessperson identified as the head of a criminal network active in municipalities.
One of the key figures implicated by Korzay is Ertan Yıldız, chair of IBB's Subsidiaries and Affiliates Commission. Yıldız is alleged to have demanded 30 million lira from contractor Aziz Ihsan Aktas. Other released suspects include Servet Yıldırım, personal driver to the arrested suspect Hüseyin Köksal, lawyer Süleyman Atik, construction technician Altan Gözcü, and accounting manager Murat Bıyık.
The case has high political implications because IBB's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu of the main opposition CHP, was arrested in March 2025 on corruption charges widely regarded as politically motivated. The current investigation and Korzay’s testimony have intensified scrutiny of the CHP-run municipality, with prosecutors detaining dozens of municipal officials and expanding the investigation to multiple regions.
The money allegedly demanded by Yıldız was for the upcoming election campaign budget of the CHP, according to Korzay's testimony. Detailed knowledge of tenders was allegedly shared informally, allowing preferred companies to secure lucrative contracts. The real profit came from ISFALT tenders, he said.
Not all statements were deemed substantial enough to warrant a release, with Togay, Öner, and Yılmaz remaining in custody despite their cooperation. The operations are the culmination of four separate investigations and are mainly based on the confessions of Aziz Ihsan Aktas.
The investigation has revealed corruption at IBB and other CHP-run districts, including Istanbul's Beşiktaş, as well as municipalities in other cities, such as southern Adana. The combined effect of these revelations and ongoing detentions has intensified tensions between the CHP and the ruling party and may further complicate political developments ahead of upcoming elections.
- The corruption probe targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), run by the CHP, has expanded to include culture and politics, with allegations of illicit payments and coercion at the heart of the investigation.
- The testimony of Burak Korzay, the former general manager of IBB's asphalt production subsidiary, ISFALT, suggests that crime and justice are intertwined within the municipality, as projects were approved to generate unofficial revenue and favored certain companies.
- General news outlets report that the corruption investigation has cast a shadow over Istanbul's business scene, with key figures implicated, such as Ertan Yıldız, chair of IBB's Subsidiaries and Affiliates Commission, who is accused of demanding money for the CHP's election campaign budget.
