Turkey detains former TV star-turned-mayor in fresh crackdown on opposition
Police detained Erdal Besikcioglu, mayor of Etimesgut Municipality in Ankara, on charges of irregularities and forgery in municipal tenders.
Besikcioglu, a former TV actor known for playing detective Behzat C, was elected in 2024 with the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
The investigation also covers parking lot leasing schemes and construction zoning permissions.
Hundreds of elected mayors and officials have been arrested in the past two years in corruption probes targeting opposition-run municipalities.
Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been imprisoned since March 2025 on charges that could lead to decades-long sentences.
Story angle
Center-left
Mostly straight facts, with a light progressive or opposition-friendly tilt.
About how the story is framed, not whether the facts are true.
Hindustan Times
Center-left
Mixed factuality
