Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer and 58 other suspects have been detained in Turkey as part of a corruption investigation.
Modern.az reports that among those detained are the mayors of Yenişehir and Mezitli municipalities. All three mayors are members of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
According to the investigation, the state budget suffered hundreds of millions and billions of liras in damages as a result of fraud in tenders and procurements in Mersin, Mezitli, and Yenişehir.
The information states that similar investigations have been conducted previously in other municipalities run by the CHP. In those cases, officials are accused of forming an organized criminal group, taking bribes in exchange for changing land designations, and pressuring contractors.
A separate investigation is also being conducted against Mezitli Municipality Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer. He is accused of participating in armed attacks on political rivals and the offices of media companies.
