In the operation targeting IBB, detention orders were issued for 13 people, including a municipal police executive, two directors and a former department head; 12 people were apprehended, while efforts to locate a suspect who is abroad are ongoing. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that, based on the İçişleri Bakanlığı Mülkiye Müfettişliği Ön İnceleme Raporu and expert reports, it had been determined that some tenders had been rigged and that public losses had occurred. The date of the operation was given as 03.09.2026. At Üsküdar Belediyesi, where the acting mayor election will be held again on Saturday, procedures concerning deputy mayors Amine Cansu Çelik and Mithat Özdemir, who were detained yesterday, are ongoing. This morning, council member Ekrem Baki, who joined CHP, and Ruhsat ve Denetim Director Burak Aydın were also detained. The Sibel Tan Çetinkaya election held on 5 August had been annulled by the court. Ali Aral and Nihat Doğan were released.
Why it matters
The development presents a picture affecting both administrative decision-making processes and the political balance in two municipalities in Istanbul at the same time. In the case of IBB, the findings regarding tenders and public losses, based on inspectors’ and experts’ reports, show that oversight of the use of municipal resources is at the center of the investigation; however, there is no final decision at this stage regarding the legal outcome of the allegations. In Üsküdar, the renewal of the acting mayor election by court order, together with the proceedings conducted against municipal administrators and a council member, brings the administrative conditions of the election process to the fore. The conditions under which Saturday’s vote will take place and how the detentions will affect the municipality’s functioning remain open questions.
Background
İBB is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 2 news reports mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent was dated September 2, 2026.