29.10.2026 22:28
The trial of 21 defendants, including Muhittin Böcek, has begun in the case filed on allegations that approximately 399.5 million liras in public loss was caused through ALDAŞ, affiliated with Antalya Metropolitan Municipality. In his defense, Böcek noted that Melek Kurukama, with whom he said he had an emotional closeness, was appointed as an internal auditor by a board decision and denied allegations that she received a salary without working. Böcek also said that Kurukama went through a difficult period due to the relationship between them.
The trial of 21 defendants not in custody, including Muhittin Böcek, who was suspended from his post as Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and is detained in connection with another case, has begun in the investigation into the ALDAŞ company affiliated with Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.
At the first hearing of the case, held by the Antalya 3rd Heavy Penal Court in the Conference Hall of the Antalya Regional Court of Justice, Böcek, 15 defendants not in custody—including ALDAŞ Deputy General Manager Murat Zeydanlı, who is not in custody—and the parties’ lawyers were present in the courtroom. After identity verification, the hearing continued with the reading of a summary of the indictment. In his defense, defendant Böcek said that he did not accept the charges brought against him within the scope of the file.
HE REJECTED THE CHARGES
Böcek noted that the ALDAŞ company was established in 1995 by a Council of Ministers decision, and that until 2019, when he took office as Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality, he served as a member of the company’s board of directors; he claimed that after becoming Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality, he became chairman of the company’s board of directors and did not make any changes to the existing situation other than those that would keep it on a legal footing.
Böcek argued that during his tenure there were no legal problems, and therefore neither the Chief Civil Inspectorate nor the Court of Accounts issued any warning to him in this regard, and that he did not face any judicial or administrative process, and defended himself as follows: “As required by the Municipal Law, expenses of a representational and hospitality nature and payments within this scope were made. I had no request or instruction regarding the invoicing of personal expenses by ALDAŞ to ASAT.”
Böcek claimed that he was unaware of the actions identified in the report of the Chief Civil Inspectorate and alleged to be personal expenses, and said that no notification was made to him on this matter. Böcek argued that ALDAŞ was continuously audited under both internal and independent external audit, and that no irregular transaction or action in the reports prepared in this regard reached him.
“I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY COMMITTED ANY IRREGULARITY”
Böcek stated that he gave signing authority to ALDAŞ Inc. General Manager Kıvanç Bülent Kuzay and Deputy General Manager Murat Zeydanlı to carry out the company’s affairs and transactions on his behalf, and said: “I do not have information about whether they committed any irregularity in the affairs and transactions on this matter.”
Böcek stated that he did not accept the 14 invoices alleged to have caused public loss, and that he could be held responsible for 2 invoices he issued within the scope of the work; he argued that, for this reason, there was no question of ALDAŞ or ASAT being harmed by these expenses.
“SHE IS GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT PROCESS DUE TO THE EMOTIONAL CLOSENESS BETWEEN US”
Böcek stated that he did not accept the allegations that expenses were made through ALDAŞ for persons to whom expenses could not be made, and continued his defense as follows: “I did not give any verbal or written instruction. I had no instruction regarding the allocation of vehicles rented within ALDAŞ for the use of my son Gökhan Böcek or the provision of mobile phones to my daughter-in-law Zuhal Böcek, and I have no information about these matters. Also, Melek Kurukama served as an internal auditor within the company by a decision of ALDAŞ’s board of directors. There is no question of her being paid by ALDAŞ without any work in return. Melek Kurukama is going through a difficult process due to the emotional closeness between us. There is no question of her taking a position within the company and obtaining unfair gain in this way.”
Böcek did not accept the charges brought against him and requested that he be acquitted. The other defendants also did not accept the charges and argued that they did not obtain any unfair gain through ALDAŞ and did not make personal expenses.
The court panel decided to remedy the deficiencies in the file and to hear the witnesses, and adjourned the hearing to March 15, 2027.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
In connection with the allegations that “approximately 399 million 507 thousand lira in public loss was caused through irregular expenses via the Infrastructure Management and Consultancy Trade Inc. (ALDAŞ), affiliated with Antalya Metropolitan Municipality,” proceedings were initiated on January 14, 2026 against 21 suspects, including Muhittin Böcek, who was suspended from his post as Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and was detained, and 5 people were arrested.
İbrahim Kurt, the former General Manager of ASAT who had been arrested, was released on January 27, 2026.