Ahmet Sungur, the AKP mayor of Yahşihan in Kırıkkale, who was arrested on charges of extortion, has been removed from office.
The Interior Ministry stated that the decision to suspend him from duty was a temporary measure.
The Kırıkkale Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had launched an investigation into the Yahşihan Municipality on charges of extortion.
Sungur, his deputy, the former deputy mayor, the zoning director and the former zoning director, as well as two municipal employees and two businesspeople, were taken into custody. Unlike police actions at opposition-run municipalities, footage was not shared with the public.
The court arrested the mayor and four others. One was placed under judicial supervision, while the rest were released after questioning by the prosecutor's office.
The AKP Central Executive Board had decided to refer Sungur to the Central Disciplinary Board with a request for his expulsion.
According to a report by Dinçer Gökçe on Halk TV, Yekta Niyazi Yıldırım, who served as Sungur's official driver and bodyguard between 2009 and 2019, played a significant role in the prosecution's questioning.
Yıldırım said that 23 million lira was demanded from the contractor for the Ayyıldız Housing project to be granted occupancy permits. Yıldırım alleged that Sungur was aware of these discussions and that former urban planning director Ulaş Biçer managed the process.
