Within the scope of the corruption investigation carried out against Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and Yenişehir and Mezitli municipalities, 59 suspects, including mayors Vahap Seçer, Abdullah Özyiğit and Ahmet Serkan Tuncer, were detained.
Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched a corruption investigation against Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and Yenişehir and Mezitli municipalities. Provincial Police Department Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch teams carried out simultaneous operations at many addresses in the morning. During the operation, 59 suspects, including Mayors Vahap Seçer, Abdullah Özyiğit and Ahmet Serkan Tuncer, were detained.
It was stated that during the investigations against Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, a total of 330 million 945 thousand TL public loss was detected in 13 tenders and 63 direct procurement.
DETAILS ARE REVEALED
In the statements of witnesses and informants taken within the scope of the investigation against Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and Mezitli and Yenişehir municipalities; It was determined that some tenders and direct supplies were directed to pre-determined companies, the approximate cost, market research and bid processes were coordinated by certain people, and companies that would make 'side bids' were organized in addition to the companies planned to receive the tender. In his statement, the informant stated that he was asked to make a 'side offer' through his company for the organization service to be provided by the municipality; He stated that for this purpose, he was given a 1-page offer letter and a 5-page technical specification, which were stated to be obtained from the municipality's purchasing unit.
INSTRUCTION FOR ELIMINATION OF DOCUMENTS AND OFFER LETTERS
It was claimed that the same informant stated that during the first operation on March 11, information regarding the searches at the municipality was previously conveyed to a company official, that he was warned to destroy stamps, documents and offer letters belonging to different companies, and that some people inserted the SIM cards they used into different phones.
MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES WERE USED BELOW THE MARKET VALUE
It was stated that the cash revenues obtained from the parking lots belonging to the municipality's subsidiary company, İmar A.Ş., which were examined within the scope of the investigation, were incompletely recorded in the accounting system, some companies were provided with benefits in the operation of advertising areas, a difference was created between the real cost of vehicle rental and personnel services and the prices reported to the municipality, and some municipal real estate was made available to third parties below the market value.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE MUNICIPALITY AND COMPANIES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED
In the investigations regarding the tenders held in the Municipality's Machinery Supply, Culture and Social Affairs and other units, the financial and commercial relations between some municipal administrators and the companies that received tenders from the municipality were investigated; It was claimed that certain companies received many tenders from the municipality in different years and that irregularities were detected by the expert in the tenders that were under the responsibility of some spending authorities.
ALLEGATION THAT CASH MONEY WAS CONVERTED INTO FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND GOLD
In some witness statements, it was also claimed that the cash allegedly resulting from some tender revenues was transferred through certain people, converted into euros and gold at jewelers and foreign exchange offices, and some cash deliveries were made in vehicles. It was reported that investigations on financial records and money movements are continuing in order to determine the accuracy of the allegations.
INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE
In addition, tenders and direct supply files regarding animal shelter, medicine and food purchases, educational services, milk distribution and various goods and services purchases were also examined; It was noted that the relevant information and documents were obtained from the Public Procurement Agency, the municipality, municipal subsidiaries, the Revenue Administration and the SSI, and expert examinations continued.
LUXURY CAR CLAIM IN EXCHANGE OF PROGRESS PAYMENT FOR CAR RENTAL TENDER
On the other hand, B.E., the chairman of the board of directors of a catering company whose statement was taken within the scope of the investigation, claimed that Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer caused him difficulties in paying the progress payments related to the tenders and direct supplies he received from the municipality. Stating that a message was sent to him through deputy mayors Osman Günay and Ertan Güner, B.E. later contacted their mutual acquaintance Z.B.K. He claimed that he met with Ahmet Serkan Tuncer via , and after the meeting, they were asked to provide a luxury bus for Tuncer's use in return for the payment of progress payments arising from the car rental tender. B.E. stated that he first paid 1 million 500 thousand TL to purchase the vehicle with plate number 33 AST 006, then used a loan of 2 million TL, and that the vehicle was Z.B.K. He claimed that the vehicle was delivered to Tuncer's use and that he covered the fuel expenses of the vehicle for a long time.
1 KILOGRAM OF GOLD IN EXCHANGE FOR FOOD TENDER PLACEMENT
B.E. claimed that during the payment of progress payments regarding the 2025 food tender that the company he owns received from Mezitli Municipality, Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer demanded 1 kilogram of gold bullion from him, that he bought the gold in question from a jeweler and delivered it to Z.B.K. in line with Tuncer's instructions.
8 MILLION TL CASH AND VILLA PAYMENT
In his statement, K.Ö. said that Ahmet Serkan Tuncer was going to buy a house and needed money. B.E., who claimed that he conveyed the money to him through 8 million TL, stated that he was informed that if he did not pay 8 million TL, his progress payments would not be paid and he would not be able to enter the municipality. Thereupon, he had the 8 million TL cash he received from a jewelery company in September 2024 delivered to K.Ö. to be delivered to Tuncer. He later stated that K.Ö. told him that he had personally delivered the money he had had in the bank to the former owners of the villa purchased for Tuncer.
PAYMENTS FROM PRIVATE COMPANIES TO MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES
In his statement, upon Tuncer's request, M.B. B.E. stated that the person named was shown as a SGK member with a monthly salary of 30 thousand TL in his own company, and said that the person in question did not actually work in the company and worked in Mezitli Municipality. B.E. Additionally, upon the instruction of the municipal subsidiary company official, H.S. The person named was shown as a SGK member in his own company with a monthly salary of 28 thousand TL, and that the person in question had not actually worked in the company for approximately 1.5 years; He stated that upon his dismissal, Tuncer personally called him and asked for him to be rehired. He stated that in the same period, the municipal distribution vehicle with plate number 33 AYZ 508 was transferred to the company belonging to B.E.
ALLEGED THAT 50 THOUSAND TL WAS RECEIVED MONTHLY FOR PAYMENT OF PROGRESSES
B.E. noted that Deputy Mayor Atilla Küsbeci called him and told him that he had to pay 50 thousand TL monthly to Ahmet Serkan Tuncer's advisor Ali Ülkü in order to receive his progress payments, and that the payment in question was received regularly through a jeweler company and the payments continued until the last month.
POLITICAL PARTY PAYMENT OF 300 THOUSAND TL
In his statement, B.E. stated that Tuncer and Deputy Mayors Osman Günay and Ertan Güner asked him to send 300 thousand TL to the Gülnar or Aydıncık district organization of a political party, and that he withdrew the said 300 thousand TL in cash and delivered it to the municipal employee G.B., and that the money was later sent from G.B.'s bank account to the relevant district organization.
STATEMENTS REGARDING POLITICAL NAMES: ALI AND VELİ'S REQUESTS DO NOT END
In his statement, B.E. stated that when he told Tuncer that he was losing money due to his constant demands for money and benefits, Tuncer responded to him by saying, "Ali and Veli's requests are endless," and stated that he meant Ali Mahir Başkar and Veli Ağbaba with these words. In addition, B.E. claimed that Ali Mahir Basarir and Ahmet Serkan Tuncer were present at a meeting held in 2024 and that Basarir made statements regarding Tuncer's candidacy for mayor.
REQUEST FOR MONEY FROM COMPANIES THAT GOT WORK FROM THE MUNICIPALITY FOR THE SPORTS CLUB
In his statement, B.E. stated that in October 2025, he was called by the municipal accounting unit and informed that the companies that received tenders from the municipality for the event of Mezitli33 Sports Club were obliged to purchase tickets, and claimed that he did not accept this request, but later handed over 50 thousand TL in cash when the Mutlu Mezitli company manager asked for money for the club's away expenses.
CLAIM OF 5 MILLION TL NEW MONEY DEMAND AFTER PROGRESS
Explaining that Ahmet Serkan Tuncer called him via FaceTime shortly before the operation, B.E. claimed that a progress payment of 5 million TL was made to an organization company and that he knew that he would receive money from this company and demanded money from him again. B.E. stated that he did not make any payment in response to this request.
SEPARATE INVESTIGATION INTO GUN ATTACKS
In a separate file carried out by the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated that the suspects whose identities were identified in the shooting incident of the office used as the New Party Provincial Headquarters on September 4, 2026, and the workplace named Çağın Medya, by people on motorcycles on September 5, 2026, were caught and arrested, and within the scope of the investigation, it was determined that Tuncer was the instigator of the actions. In B.E.'s statement regarding the events in question, he claimed that he heard Tuncer say something about him such as "I'll shoot him."
