Court releases former Adana mayor from jail
ADANA - Doğan News Agency
Durak was accused of selling over 6,500-square-meters of municipality territory. DHA Photo
A court in the Mediterranean province of Adana yesterday ruled to release four suspects including former Mayor Aytaç Durak, who spent 43 days behind bars on charges of bid rigging during the sale of municipal lands.Durak’s son-in-law Bekir Cavcav, the municipality’s former Secretary Hasan Gülşen and Atilla Kuzucu, who was employed in Durak Construction Company, were also released by order of the court yesterday, while Durak was released after his very first hearing.
Durak, who was also a member of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), was removed from office in March 2010 after having served as the mayor of Adana for 21 years. The Ministry of Interior consequently issued a permit for an investigation to be launched against Durak, who then stepped down from his party as well, after MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli called on him to resign.
Durak was accused of selling in 2006 over 6,500-square-meters of territory owned by the metropolitan municipality to Cavcav, one of only two contenders for the bid, in return for 278,000 Turkish Liras.
