The Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor's Office ordered the detention of 55 suspects on July 30, 2026, in an investigation involving Etimesgut Municipality. Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu is among those detained, according to Anadolu Agency. The Associated Press reported that police had detained 52 people during the morning raids while efforts involving the remaining suspects were continuing at the time of its report.
What is the investigation examining?
Anadolu Agency, citing judicial sources, said the investigation is being conducted by the Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The reported case file includes Court of Accounts reports, statements made under cooperation provisions, complaints, public submissions filed through Turkey's CİMER system, audio and video recordings, and financial and telephone traffic analyses. Authorities have not publicly detailed how each item relates to individual suspects.
Reports based on the prosecutor's statement say the case covers 42 municipal employees and 13 company representatives. The allegations being examined include establishing or managing a criminal organization, membership in such an organization, embezzlement, bribery, extortion, interference with public tenders and interference with the performance of contracted work. These are allegations under investigation rather than findings announced by a court.
Coordinated raids across nine provinces
The Associated Press, citing a Justice Ministry statement, reported that the operation was coordinated from Ankara and extended across nine provinces. Police searched 71 locations, including homes, offices and vehicles. Documents and digital materials were seized during those searches. Anadolu Agency also reported that simultaneous operations took place in nine provinces under the direction of the Ankara-based investigation.
The arrest figures varied slightly with the publication time of each report. Anadolu Agency said 55 suspects were detained, while the Associated Press said detention orders covered 55 people and that 52 had been taken into custody when its report was filed. Euronews later updated its coverage to say orders had been issued for 55 suspects while search and detention procedures continued. The figures may therefore reflect different stages of the same operation.
Who is Erdal Beşikçioğlu?
Beşikçioğlu was elected mayor of Etimesgut, a district in western Ankara, as a Republican People's Party candidate in Turkey's 2024 local elections. Before entering municipal politics, he was widely known as an actor and theatre director. The Associated Press noted that he gained broad recognition for the leading role in the television crime drama Behzat Ç., which originally ran between 2010 and 2019.
Etimesgut Municipality administers a district on the western side of Turkey's capital. According to the Justice Ministry account reported by the Associated Press, investigators are examining alleged irregularities involving municipal tenders, parking-area leases and construction zoning permissions. The inquiry also covers transactions involving private companies and municipal officials.
What happens next?
Police processing and prosecutorial assessments involving the detained suspects were continuing when the reports were published. No final court judgment concerning the suspects had been announced at that stage. Prosecutors are expected to review statements, financial records and the material seized during the searches before deciding how each suspect will proceed through the judicial process.
Detention totals, referral decisions and the scope of the inquiry may change as authorities release updates. The current points supported across the reports are that detention orders were issued for 55 people, that Erdal Beşikçioğlu is among those detained and that at least 52 suspects had been taken into custody during the morning operation. Further developments should be assessed against dated statements from judicial authorities and independently published reports.
