Politics · Turkey · 9 hrs ago
Çukurova mayor and four others jailed in corruption probe
Authorities in Adana, Turkey, are investigating alleged irregularities in Çukurova municipality contracts and related payments.
The probe concerns tenders and direct purchases, including claims that public procurement rules were misused and contractors paid bribes for payments.
Investigators also examined allegations that some municipal workers were paid despite not actually going to work.
On October 19, a police operation targeted 51 suspects, and 44 people were detained and later sent to court.
Mayor Emrah Kozay and four others were jailed; former mayor Soner Çetin and two deputy mayors were among them, along with Kozay’s aunt.
A manager at a municipal company was placed under house arrest.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations have not been established as facts.
Çukurova Mayor Emrah Kozay and four others were ordered jailed in an investigation into alleged irregularities in municipal procurement.
The other four are former mayor Soner Çetin, deputy mayors Uğur Can Doğan and Bahadır Özdemir, and Kozay’s aunt, Sıdıka Şire.
The investigation concerns alleged wrongdoing in tenders and direct procurement, among other claims.
A total of 44 suspects were sent to court after police questioning, according to Sabah.
An executive at the municipality’s İmar AŞ company was placed under house arrest.
- Who
- Çukurova Mayor Emrah Kozay and four others were ordered jailed.
- What
- They were detained in an investigation into alleged corruption and irregularities in municipal procurement.
- When
- The operation took place on 19 October 2026. The detention decision was reported on 22 October.
- Where
- Çukurova Municipality in Adana, Turkey.
- Why
- The investigation concerns allegations of irregularities in tenders and direct procurement, alleged bribes linked to contractor payments, and staff being paid despite not working.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Jandarma carried out an operation targeting 51 suspects in the investigation, and 44 people were detained.
Sabah reported that 44 suspects had been sent to court after questioning.
Habertürk reported that Kozay, Çetin, Doğan, Özdemir and Şire were ordered jailed, while İmar AŞ General Manager Erdal Biber was placed under house arrest.
- Suspects detained
- 44 of 51 targeted
- People ordered jailed
- Emrah Kozay, Soner Çetin, Uğur Can Doğan, Bahadır Özdemir and Sıdıka Şire
- House arrest
- Erdal Biber, İmar AŞ general manager
- Operation date
- 19 October 2026
- Investigation location
- Çukurova Municipality, Adana
5 sources
Çukurova Belediye Başkanı Emrah Kozay görevden uzaklaştırıldı
Opposition mayor among 34 jailed in southern Turkey corruption probe
Çukurova Belediye Başkanı Kozay tutuklandı