Turkish authorities detained Silivri Mayor Bora Balcıoğlu and 16 other suspects on Friday as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and organized criminal activity involving municipal operations, prosecutors said.
The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched the investigation after identifying alleged irregularities in a range of municipal procedures, including personnel recruitment, business transfers and leases, zoning and licensing decisions, sealing procedures, unauthorized construction cases, property acquisitions and the sale of municipal assets.
According to prosecutors, an expert report found that the sale of a municipally owned property classified as a non-registered public park area below its market value resulted in a public loss of approximately TL 21.5 million (nearly $470,000).
Based on the findings, prosecutors launched an investigation on charges including establishing and leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, bribery, extortion, influence peddling, abuse of office, bid rigging, interference in contract performance, causing zoning pollution and laundering assets derived from criminal activity.
Authorities alleged that the suspects acted within an organized structure and used their influence over municipal affairs to secure unlawful benefits.
