ISTANBUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Friday detained 29 suspects in a high-profile investigation into alleged corruption and bid-rigging involving the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), the government agency in charge of the municipal affairs of Istanbul Province, local media reported.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said the operation targeted an alleged "organized crime group" reportedly linked to Ekrem Imamoglu, the elected mayor of Istanbul who has been suspended from office and held in pre-trial detention since March 2025.
The investigation centers on accusations that a "fictitious tender system" was established through the IBB-owned Trees and Landscaping Company to facilitate irregular bidding processes, said the report.
Among the 29 detained are IBB Deputy Secretary General Oktay Ozel, and Head of the Parks, Gardens, and Green Areas Department for the IBB Tugba Olmez Hanci. One suspect remains at large abroad, said the report.
Imamoglu is currently on trial alongside over 400 co-defendants and could face up to 2,430 years in prison if convicted on over 140 charges, including establishing a criminal network, laundering crime proceeds, and corruption. ■
