Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat Arrested in Bid-Rigging Probe

Rıza Akpolat, the mayor of Beşiktaş in Istanbul, was detained amid a bid-rigging investigation that has implicated 47 individuals, including other municipal officials. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office alleges that a criminal organization, led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, manipulated tender processes by bribing mayors and senior officials to secure contracts for their own companies. Opposition party leaders, including CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, condemned the arrest as politically motivated, framing it as an extension of a politicized justice system. Akpolat was apprehended at his summer residence, and the investigation followed a three-month inquiry into the alleged corruption. The charges against the suspects include bribery, bid-rigging, and money laundering, with some officials already facing separate legal issues. The political fallout has been significant, as Beşiktaş is a key stronghold for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).