Turkey’s main opposition leader is under investigation for allegedly spreading false information about a high-profile bribery case, after he publicly accused the government of orchestrating a political conspiracy to seize control of a key opposition-held municipality.
The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced late Tuesday that it had launched a criminal investigation into Özgür Özel, chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), for “publicly disseminating misleading information” under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code. The charge stems from remarks made by Özel during a rally in southern Turkey, where he described a corruption probe involving local officials as a “setup” designed to engineer a shift in power.
The case centers on the CHP-run municipality of Manavgat in southern Antalya province, where a video widely circulated last week appeared to show a deputy mayor accepting a bribe concealed inside a box of baklava. Turkish authorities have since arrested the mayor, his deputy and several city council members, prompting the Interior Ministry to suspend the mayor from office.
But in a fiery speech on Tuesday evening at a rally in Antalya, Özel claimed the incident was staged. “They trained that baklava vendor for a month,” he said. “We have 32 hours of footage. They planned it minute by minute. This was a conspiracy.”
Özel also alleged that the bribery footage was deliberately leaked just as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) attempted to seize control of the municipality by exploiting temporary gaps in the city council caused by the arrests. He claimed that prosecutors, council members and even the head of the local election board — whom he said is married to the lead prosecutor in the case — were all involved in what he described as a coordinated attempt to “steal” the city.
“The aim was clear,” Özel told supporters. “Arrest four council members, flip the majority and stage a local election to hand the municipality to the ruling party — without a single vote being cast.”
The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office rejected Özel’s narrative, stating that his public remarks were “contrary to the truth and disruptive to public order.” The office said it had initiated legal action ex officio, meaning without a formal complaint, due to the serious nature of the allegations and their potential impact on public trust in the judiciary.
This is the first time Turkey’s main opposition leader has faced criminal charges under the country’s controversial 2022 disinformation law, which critics say is used to silence political dissent and independent reporting.
Özel did not deny the authenticity of video showing deputy mayor accepting the pastry box, which turned out to be filled with cash after police opened it in the raid right after the mayor accepted the gift, but claimed that the individual involved had previously been caught with contraband alcohol and drugs and that the footage was selectively edited.
According to Özel, the man in the video was released from custody shortly after his initial arrest and then collaborated with authorities to fabricate evidence against mayor. “He was turned into a collaborator,” he said.
The Interior Ministry announced Tuesday that the mayor of Manavgat, Niyazi Nefi Kara, had been suspended following his arrest as part of an investigation into “extortion, bribery and embezzlement.” The CHP has not yet formally expelled any of the arrestees but said it has appointed internal investigators and is reviewing the findings.
Manavgat, a major tourist hub, is among the most contested municipalities in Turkey. Özel claimed that AKP operatives used the arrest of CHP city council members to quickly shift the majority and initiate a vote for a new mayor — a move that could tip control of the city.
Özel further accused local prosecutors of deliberately timing their actions to pre-empt legal pushback from the High Election Board (YSK), which later ruled in favor of the CHP’s right to replace the arrested council members. According to Özel the head of the local election board then called in sick to avoid signing the YSK’s letter, delaying the restoration of the CHP majority.
The Manavgat episode comes amid a crackdown on CHP-led municipalities following the party’s sweeping victories in the March 2024 local elections. Sixteen CHP mayors have been jailed over the past year, and one put under house arrest in what rights groups call the most extensive campaign against the opposition party since the 1980s’ military rule.