Municipality officials relocated to other prisons

ISTANBUL

Authorities transferred some of the individuals arrested in the Istanbul Municipality probes to prisons in neighboring cities, local media reported on April 13.

Fourteen arrested suspects from the Marmara Prison in Istanbul’s Silivri district were relocated to facilities in Tekirdağ and Kocaeli “to ensure the healthy progression of the investigations and to maintain security protocols in penal institutions,”Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on X.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) argued that this move violated the principle of fair trials.

In response, Tunç dismissed the claims of “restricted defense rights,” labeling them as “false” and asserting that they were part of an effort to “mislead the public.”

Last month, numerous senior officials of the Istanbul Municipality were arrested in connection with an ongoing corruption investigation involving Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Additionally, several high-ranking municipal employees have been arrested in a separate terrorism investigation, although no arrest decision has been issued against İmamoğlu for this probe.