Besikcioglu played grizzled detective Behzat C in a popular police drama of the same name that ran from 2010 to 2019. He was elected mayor in 2024 with the opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, in an election where the opposition strengthened its grip on major cities, including Ankara and Istanbul. The suspects are being held on charges of establishing and running a criminal organisation, membership in a criminal organisation, embezzlement, bribery, extortion and tender-rigging. In May, the leadership of the CHP was removed by court order, prompting the formation of the New Party by deposed party head Ozgur Ozel on July 24. Ninety CHP legislators quit the CHP for the New Party, making it the largest opposition group in parliament.