Popular actor and mayor of an Ankara district arrested in corruption case
A court in Turkey has arrested the mayor of Ankara's Etimesgut district, the popular actor Erdal Beşikçioğlu, and 39 other people in a case involving corruption in municipal tenders, the newspaper Türkiye reported.
"The court ruled to place 40 people in custody, including the mayor of Etimesgut, Erdal Beşikçioğlu," the newspaper writes.
The operation was carried out as part of an investigation being conducted by the West Ankara prosecutor's office into allegations of rigging tender results, extortion, and forming a criminal organization.
The prosecutor's office initially issued detention warrants for 55 suspects, including Beşikçioğlu, the mayor from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
After questioning, 44 people were brought before the court with a request for their arrest.
The court granted the request in respect of 40 of those involved. In addition to the mayor, deputy heads of the municipality Mutlu Kerimoğlu, Taylan Özgüven, and İhsan Bahri Beyler were placed under arrest, as well as employees of municipal bodies, members of the board of directors of the company Etimkent, members of the tender commission, and Beşikçioğlu's close bodyguard Hüseyin Yılmaz.
Erdal Beşikçioğlu is a popular Turkish actor who became famous for his role as a police commissioner in the series "Behzat Ç." In 2024, he was elected mayor of the Etimesgut district for the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
