28.11.2025 18:10
The Ministry of Interior granted permission for an investigation into Mehmet Emür, the former mayor of the Keşap district in Giresun, and a number of municipal officials. Emür resigned from the AK Party after not being nominated in the last election, ran as a candidate from the New Welfare Party, and was not elected.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya granted permission for an investigation into former Mayor of Keşap district in Giresun, Mehmet Emür, and numerous municipal officials regarding three separate issues related to the opening of a municipal property for development, its sale at a low price, and transactions made through a procurement tender.
In the decision sent to the Keşap District Governorship by the General Directorate of Legal Services of the Ministry of Interior on November 21, dated April 11, 2025; it was stated that two parcels in Bozkurt Neighborhood belonging to Keşap Municipality were divided and merged in violation of zoning regulations and the Coastal Law, turning them into parcel 16 of block 314, that this parcel was combined with the adjacent park area and opened for "residential and commercial" zoning, and that the property was sold at a low price and transferred to a company in which former Mayor Emür was a partner shortly thereafter.
The decision noted that the expert report indicated that the coastal boundary line passed through the middle of the property, and despite the fact that the authority to approve plans in coastal areas belonged to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, the plans were approved by the municipal council's decision. It was ruled that permission for an investigation should be granted regarding the council decision on the division and merging processes and the signatures of former Emür and numerous municipal managers in zoning applications.
SECOND ISSUE IN THE FILE
The second issue in the file concerned allegations related to the valuation and sale of the same property. It was stated that the Keşap Municipal Council authorized the council for the sale of parcel 16 of block 314 in Bozkurt Neighborhood, and that the Price Determination Commission determined an approximate value of 3 million 200 thousand lira based on a square meter value of 5 thousand 930 lira, while the calculations made by the Keşap National Real Estate Office using the comparable method revealed that the square meter unit value of the property in 2023 was 26 thousand lira, and its total value was approximately 13 million 768 thousand lira.
In the ministry's decision, it was stated that the property was put up for tender with an open bidding method for 7 million 885 thousand lira according to Article 35/c of the State Tender Law No. 2886, that the tender announcement was only published on the municipality's website, and that the newspaper and announcement periods stipulated by law were not adhered to. It was expressed that Nurcay Bayraktar, who won the tender, was the wife of İrfan Bayraktar, who constantly worked with the municipality. While no investigation permission was granted for the council members who signed the sale decision, permission for an investigation was granted for former Mayor Mehmet Emür on the grounds that he managed the process and later transferred the property to Emür İnşaat, in which he held a 75% partnership.
The decision also included allegations regarding the tender dated March 9, 2023, for "Material Procurement for Road Construction, Infrastructure, Sewerage, and Retaining Wall Construction." It was reported that an approximate cost of 2 million 536 thousand lira was determined for the procurement of 11 thousand 50-kilogram bags of cement, 530 corrugated pipes, 45 thousand bricks, and 50 thousand pumice blocks, and that the tender was awarded to İrfan Bayraktar Construction Industry and Trade Ltd. Co., but it was seriously disputed whether the materials were actually delivered despite delivery receipts and warehouse records.
The inspector's report indicated that the members of the inspection and acceptance commission signed the minutes based on the signature of the warehouse officer without seeing the goods, that although 11 thousand bags of cement were received as 25-kilogram bags, the invoice was issued based on the unit price of 50 kilograms, and that the total amount was calculated based on the prices obtained in the approximate cost study rather than the bids submitted during the tender. It was also determined that the receivable arising from this procurement tender was offset against the property sale price.
The decision stated that all these processes were evaluated together, and it was concluded that the Deputy Mayor and former Director of Urban Planning and Development Bahadır Günay and former Mayor Mehmet Emür had a guiding and determining role, and it was decided to grant "permission for an investigation" regarding numerous municipal officials who had signatures in the procurement tender, inspection-acceptance processes, offsetting, and property sale process.
APPEAL OPTION OPEN
It was emphasized that the decision is open to appeal to the Council of State 1st Chamber within 10 days from the date of notification, in accordance with Law No. 4483 on the Prosecution of Civil Servants and Other Public Officials, and that this stage constitutes a preliminary permission for a criminal investigation.
There is currently no definitive judicial decision regarding former Mayor Mehmet Emür and the other public officials mentioned.
Mayor Emür previously served as the mayor of Keşap. Elected from the AK Party, Emür later switched to the New Welfare Party.