Turkish prosecutors order detention of 36, including Ankara district mayor, in bribery probe

Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 36 people, including the mayor of an Ankara district governed by the main opposition, as part of an investigation into alleged bribery and tender rigging, the Ankara chief prosecutor's office said on Saturday.

According to a statement from the prosecutor's office, 27 suspects have already been detained, while efforts are continuing to locate and arrest the remaining individuals.

Ankara mayor responds to investigation

Among those facing detention is Huseyin Can Guner, the mayor of Ankara's Cankaya district and a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP).

In a post on X, Guner said he had informed authorities of his whereabouts and had left a spare key to his home for officers carrying out a search while he was travelling to Ankara.

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"Since taking office, we have managed this institution in the best possible way and have not engaged in the slightest conduct that would embarrass anyone who has placed their trust in us," Guner said.

Investigation follows scrutiny of opposition-run municipalities

The latest operation comes amid a series of investigations targeting municipalities administered by the CHP.

The Turkish government has maintained that the judiciary acts independently, while the CHP has rejected the allegations and argued that the investigations are politically motivated.