09.01.2026 17:55
Former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who was arrested in the investigation of the 'Aziz İhsan Aktaş Criminal Organization', has also been referred to the court with a request for arrest in connection with the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who was arrested as part of the 'Aziz İhsan Aktaş Criminal Organization' case, has been referred to the Peace Criminal Court with a request for arrest in connection with the 'corruption' investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, based on allegations of bribery related to illegal constructions along the Bosphorus.
Rıza Akpolat, who was suspended from his position, was arrested in January 2025 as part of the 'Aziz İhsan Aktaş Criminal Organization' case. The indictment accepted by the Istanbul 1st Heavy Criminal Court requested up to 415 years of imprisonment for Akpolat due to 52 separate actions.
INCLUDED IN THE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION
Furthermore, Rıza Akpolat, the Mayor of Beşiktaş, was included in the case regarding the 'corruption' investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), based on allegations of bribery related to illegal constructions along the Bosphorus.
REQUEST FOR HIS ARREST
As a suspect in this investigation, Akpolat was referred to the Peace Criminal Court with a request for arrest from the 'corruption' case against the IMM.
"IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HE RECEIVED 'BRIBE' MONEY UNDER THE NAME OF DONATION TO THE MUNICIPALITY'S SOUP KITCHEN FROM BUSINESS OWNERS"
The referral document prepared regarding Rıza Akpolat stated, "It was claimed that the suspects Ozan İş and Emirhan Akçadağ, who were questioned as part of the investigation, alleged that suspect Rıza Akpolat demanded bribes from certain business people who applied for zoning and permit requests during his term in office.
It has been understood that among the business people mentioned, Serdar Bilgili stated that he had to give 500 thousand dollars, and Aycan Akdağ, the owner of the business named İnari Omakase in Beşiktaş, and witness Sonat Sarper Ekşioğlu stated that they had to give 2 million lira. It has been determined that suspect Rıza Akpolat obtained unjust gains from the crimes of 'bribery' and 'extortion' by misusing the powers granted by his position as mayor regarding the assets he owned in the trial file subject to the Istanbul 1st Heavy Criminal Court. In this context, it has been understood that the suspect received bribe money from business owners under the name of donations to the municipality's soup kitchen, did not provide receipts for the delivered money, and obtained the money in cash through drivers and some municipal employees.
It has been assessed that there is strong suspicion based on concrete evidence that the suspect, whose defense appears to be one of denial, committed the crime of bribery. Due to strong reasons to suspect that the suspect could exert pressure on individuals who testified against him or those from whom he obtained unjust gains, and that he could tamper with evidence, it has been evaluated that it would be proportional to arrest the suspect, who is currently detained in the ongoing prosecution, regarding the alleged crime. Therefore, it has been requested on behalf of the public that the suspect be arrested in accordance with Articles 100 and following of the Code of Criminal Procedure No. 5271, taking into account the nature and characteristics of the alleged crime, the current state of evidence, and the maximum penalty prescribed by law for the crime."