The Turkish Interior Ministry has granted permission for prosecutors to investigate Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over alleged irregularities in the capital city’s concert spending, a move that has sparked sharp criticism from the mayor and opposition figures, Turkish Minute reported on Saturday.
The ministry has allowed an investigation into Yavaş and his chief of staff, Nevzat Uzunoğlu, on suspicion of “misuse of public office” and “neglecting supervisory duties” in connection with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality concert expenditures between 2021 and 2024.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested the authorization as part of a broader inquiry into the municipality’s concert tenders. Prosecutors earlier prepared an indictment accusing 14 people, including former municipal department heads, branch managers and business owners, of embezzlement and bid rigging, seeking prison sentences of up to 18 years.
Five of the suspects were placed in pretrial detention in September. The indictment has been submitted to the Ankara 34th High Criminal Court.
Prosecutors allege that the spending on 32 cultural events caused a loss of 154 million lira (about $3.7 million) to the municipality through inflated contracts.
Yavaş calls decision politically motivated
Yavaş, seen one of the potential challengers of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the next general election, condemned the ministry’s decision in a statement posted on X on Saturday, saying it represented a “double standard” and accused the government of political interference.
He said prosecutors requested permission for an investigation even though his name does not appear in the indictment related to the concert expenditures. Yavaş said the ministry had previously appointed inspectors, to whom he submitted a written statement, but that officials had now reversed their stance.
“While decisions in numerous past complaints held that a mayor cannot be held responsible for every action of municipal units, the opposite approach is now being applied,” he said. “This selective sense of justice is unacceptable.”
Yavaş said he believes the decision will be overturned in court and that he plans to file an appeal with the Council of State. He added that he would make a more detailed statement on Monday.
The mayor also repeated earlier remarks that he has “no hesitation” about being investigated. “They have come to audit us many times,” he said, adding that he is willing to testify voluntarily because he has “nothing to hide.”
The CHP accused the government of targeting Yavaş, who was re-elected in the March 31, 2024, local elections with more than 60 percent of the vote.
CHP deputy chair Gül Çiftci described the request for an investigation as “a new stage of judicial pressure,” calling it a political campaign not only against Yavaş but also “against the will of the people of Ankara.”
CHP leader Özgür Özel said in a speech in Brussels on October 12 that the move was part of an effort to sideline opposition mayors. “Those who try to target Mayor Mansur after getting rid of one person should know this: Mansur Yavaş is not alone,” he said, referring to the arrest of İstanbul’s popular mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, in March.
The move against Yavaş follows a yearlong crackdown on opposition-run city halls that includes the arrest of İmamoğlu, the CHP’s presidential candidate for 2028, in March. Yavaş is widely viewed as a potential alternative presidential contender if İmamoğlu is barred from running.
