ISTANBUL, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities on Tuesday detained 15 suspects, including the mayor of Menderes district in the western Turkish province of Izmir, as part of an investigation into alleged bribery, abuse of office, and zoning-related offenses.
The Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said the investigation concerns allegations that municipal officials issued building occupancy permits and approved zoning changes in exchange for illicit benefits. Additional charges include extortion, forgery of official documents, abuse of office, and causing zoning pollution.
Among those detained were Menderes Mayor Ilkay Cicek, a deputy mayor, several municipal department heads and employees, according to the prosecutor's office. One deputy mayor remained at large, with efforts to locate the suspect ongoing.
The operation came amid a series of corruption investigations involving municipal administrations across Türkiye, following recent probes into municipalities of the Etimesgut district in Ankara and Uskudar in Istanbul. ■
