Breaking News: Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey detained
It has been reported that 55 people, including Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, have been detained as part of an investigation conducted by the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. It was learned that seizure orders were issued for 51 residences, 23 companies and workplaces, and 1 foundation. The detention list of 59 people also includes Bozbey's wife, daughter, and siblings.
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In an operation targeting the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, 55 people, including Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, were detained. Arrest warrants were issued for 4 individuals.
It was reported that the detention list of 59 people also includes Bozbey's wife, daughter, and siblings.
It was learned that a search is being conducted at the home of Bozbey, whose phone has been seized.
STATEMENT FROM THE CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
In a statement regarding the operation, the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office noted the following:
"Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a simultaneous operation was carried out on 31.03.2026 in 4 provinces, including Bursa as the center, as well as Istanbul, Balıkesir, and Diyarbakır, against a total of 59 suspects identified as being involved in the crimes of 'Establishing an Organization for the Purpose of Committing Crimes,' 'Being a Member of an Organization Established for the Purpose of Committing Crimes,' and 'Laundering Assets Derived from Crime,' including those in the position of organization leader (Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and former Nilüfer Municipality Mayor Turgay ERDEM (Detained));
1-Mustafa BOZBEY (Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor)
2-Seden BOZBEY (Mustafa BOZBEY's wife)
3-Side BOZBEY GÜRER (Mustafa BOZBEY's daughter)
4-Muhkim DEMİRTAŞ (Shell Company Representative)
5-Ramiz BOZBEY (Mustafa BOZBEY's brother)
6-Ertan BOZBEY (Mustafa BOZBEY's brother)
7-İldam AYDIN BOZBEY (Architecture Office Owner)
8-Semih ATLI (Bribery Intermediary)
9-Aytunç ESENDEMİRCİ (Bribery Intermediary, Mustafa BOZBEY's former Chief of Staff)
10-Züleyha ESENDEMİRCİ (Bribery Intermediary)
11-Mehmet Ali DÖNER (Bribery Intermediary)
12-Elif DÖNER (Bribery Intermediary)
13-Fuat BAKGÖR (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
14-Yusuf BAKGÖR (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
15-Ferhat BAKGÖR (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
16-Faruk BAKGÖR (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
17-Orhan ÇELEBİ (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
18-Mehmet Necati Çelebi (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
19-Muzaffer RIZVANOĞLU (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
20-İhsan RIZVANOĞLU (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
21-Zafer RIZVANOĞLU (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
22-Yusuf Berat RIZVANOĞLU (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
23-Batuhan ABAY (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
24-Cansu Pınar HAYIRLIOĞLU (Bribery Intermediary, Municipality Employee)
25-Bahri ATALAY (Bribery Intermediary)
26-Doğan GÜNDÜZ (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
27-Berat GÖRAL (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
28-Tolga ŞEN (Bribery Intermediary)
29-Ümit İRVEN (Bribery Intermediary)
30-Mehmet Ziya ARSLAN (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
31-Şener ARSLAN (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
32-Zafer ARSLAN (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
33-Nevzat GÜLENELİ (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
34-Naci KALE (Bribery Intermediary, former employee of Nilüfer Municipality subsidiary NİLBEL)
35-Serkan BAYRAM (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
36-Hüseyin GÜR (Bribery Intermediary)
37-Yılmaz ADIGÜZEL (Bribery Intermediary, Nilüfer Municipality Police Chief)
38-Sırrı AYDIN (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
39-Necati EREN (Shell Company Representative)
40-Orhan TOSUN (Shell Company Representative)
41-Fahrettin ÇAKIR (Bribery Intermediary)
42-Yalçın IŞIKYILDIZ (Bribery Intermediary, former Deputy Mayor of Nilüfer Municipality)
43-Serdar GÜNIŞIK (Bribery Intermediary)
44-Kübra ABLAY (Bribery Intermediary)
45-Bahadır ABLAY (Bribery Intermediary)
46-Metin Yaşar ÇELİK (Bribery Intermediary)
47-Ersel ÇAKIR (Bribery Intermediary)
48-Şevket İLHAN (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
49-Sertaç KARAALP (Bribe Giver, Businessman)
50-Selda NARTOP (Bribery Intermediary, Municipality Employee)
51-Alper BİÇER (Bribery Intermediary)
52-Tarık TARIM (Bribery Intermediary)
53-Murat HASAN (Bribery Intermediary)
54-Sertaç AŞLAK (Bribery Intermediary)
55-Fatih SALMAN (Bribery Intermediary)
The named individuals have been apprehended and detained.
1-Abdülkadir ALKAN (Bribe Giver, Businessman-FUGITIVE)
2-Naci ABAY (Bribe Giver, Businessman-FUGITIVE)
3-Şevket GÜNDÜZ (Bribe Giver, Businessman, FUGITIVE ABROAD)
4-Tuğrul KUTLUAY (Bribe Giver, Businessman, FUGITIVE ABROAD)
Efforts to apprehend the 4 suspects are ongoing; searches of residences and workplaces are continuing."
SEIZURE ORDER FOR 51 RESIDENCES, 23 COMPANIES AND WORKPLACES, AND 1 FOUNDATION
In another statement from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the following information was provided:
"Within the scope of the investigation conducted by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the crimes of 'Establishing and Managing an Organization for the Purpose of Committing Crimes, Being a Member of an Organization Established for the Purpose of Committing Crimes, Bribery, Laundering Assets Derived from Crime, and Causing Zoning Pollution'; upon the determination that in our province's Nilüfer district, the then-Nilüfer Mayors Mustafa BOZBEY, Turgay ERDEM, and some municipal employees provided financial benefits to themselves and project owners by making irregular floor area ratio increases in construction projects in exchange for bribes, upon the instruction of our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, simultaneous operations were carried out on 31.03.2026 in a total of 5 provinces, with Bursa as the center, by officers of the Bursa Provincial Police Department's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch against 59 suspects, including Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa BOZBEY and former Nilüfer Municipality Mayor Turgay ERDEM (Detained), who are in the position of criminal organization leaders; 55 suspects were apprehended and detained, search and seizure operations were carried out at 51 residences, 23 company/workplace addresses, and 1 foundation address belonging to the suspects, as well as in vehicles used by the suspects, and efforts to apprehend the 4 fugitive suspects are continuing. Our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting the investigation meticulously, and information will be provided regarding the progress and outcome of the investigation. Respectfully announced to the public."
PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY HELD BY AKP AND MHP!
Mustafa Bozbey, who has been alleged to be switching to the AKP since the summer months, had most recently denied the allegations in a post on February 10, where he shared a photo of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and stated, "We are working for our Bursa on the path shown by our eternal leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and we will continue to work."
The parliamentary majority in the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Council is held by the AKP and MHP.
In Bursa, where the People's Alliance (Cumhur İttifakı) consisting of the AKP, MHP, and BBP has 59 council members, the CHP has 41 council members, while the IYI Party has 3, the New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah) has 1, and the Turkey Alliance (Türkiye İttifakı) has 1 member.