The Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office directed dawn raids that netted Besikcioglu along with three deputy mayors and a total of 52 suspects across nine provinces. Investigators focused on claims of irregularities and forgery in municipal tenders in addition to parking lot leasing arrangements and construction zoning permissions, according to the office. Officials executed searches at 71 separate locations where they collected documents and digital materials for further examination. The operation also involved 42 municipal officials and 13 company representatives who face charges that include establishing a criminal organization, embezzlement, bribery, extortion and tender-rigging.
Erdal Besikcioglu previously portrayed the lead detective in the popular series Behzat C that ran from 2010 to 2019 before entering politics. He won election as mayor of Etimesgut in western Ankara during the 2024 local vote on the ticket of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP. His detention marks the latest instance in which a locally elected opposition figure has come under judicial scrutiny following the party’s strengthened performance in urban centers.
Turkish police have detained hundreds of elected mayors and municipal officials on similar corruption allegations over the past two years, Arab Times reported. The pattern has encompassed municipalities governed by opposition parties since the 2024 elections that expanded the CHP’s reach in major cities. A notable ongoing case involves Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu who has remained in custody since March 2025 on charges that could bring decades in prison if upheld.
Recent internal shifts within the CHP added to the political backdrop surrounding the raids. A court decision in May removed the existing party leadership, after which Ozgur Ozel established the New Party. Ninety former CHP legislators subsequently joined the new formation that now holds the position of largest opposition bloc in parliament, according to Turkish political records.
Government officials have repeatedly stated that the courts function independently and that all proceedings arise from evidence-based inquiries rather than political targeting. The prosecutor’s office described the current investigation as focused strictly on municipal irregularities uncovered during routine oversight. Similar operations in previous months followed the same legal framework, officials noted in earlier briefings.
International observers have tracked the cumulative impact of such cases on Turkey’s local governance structures since 2023. A European Commission progress report from 2025 placed the number of affected opposition municipalities in the dozens while noting ongoing debates over judicial impartiality. The CHP has maintained that the pattern reflects selective enforcement aimed at weakening its administrative gains from the most recent elections.
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