In a sweeping corruption investigation centered on the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has detained key figures from one of Turkey’s most prominent construction firms, Yapı Merkezi İnşaat. Among those taken into custody are company owners Mustafa Başar Arıoğlu, Erdem Arıoğlu, and Özge Arıoğlu.
The investigation, which accuses suspects of charges including membership in a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, aggravated fraud, abuse of power, and tender rigging, has led to the suspension and arrest of IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu. A total of 45 individuals have been detained so far as part of the operation.
Yapı Merkezi, founded in 1965, has long been a heavyweight in both domestic and international infrastructure projects. The company is renowned for its work on the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, the Eurasia Tunnel, and Istanbul Modern. It is also engaged in several ongoing global ventures, including a recently signed $83 million deal in Uganda.
As the investigation deepens, authorities are scrutinizing the ties between public officials and private contractors, signaling what could become one of the most high-profile corruption cases in recent Turkish history.
Another significant project that the same company won was a contract for the reconstruction of the trolleybus network to Vogošća in BiH’s capital Sarajevo. The project envisages the construction of an 8.6-kilometer contact network and electric traction substation facilities. The value of the project is EUR 9,372,945.89 including VAT, or BAM 18,331,888.76 including VAT.
It should also be mentioned that in 2023, the same Turkish company won a tender for the reconstruction of the tram line between the Ilidža and Hrasnica. The value of the contract was around BAM 30 million. It is up to see whether the arrest will hinder the ongoing project of tram railway construction from Ilidz to Hrasnica.
