ANKARA - The mayor of the Turkish capital rejected on Thursday investigation claims against himself.
Melih Gokcek, the mayor of Ankara, said that an investigation had not been filed regarding him.
Earlier on Thursday, media organs said that prosecutors had launched an investigation into Gokcek regarding five separate charges. According to media organs, selling natural gas meters at high prices, corruption in public works, causing state loss at the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, not making public his personal assets, and naming a park after his father-in-law are among these claims.
"This is a routine procedure, and an investigation is out of question," Gokcek said in a written statement.
Gokcek said that the Turkish Communist Party submitted a petition to the prosecutor's office regarding himself.
"The petition is later submitted to the Interior Ministry and it is examined," Gokcek said.
"The Interior Ministry has not made any decision to launch an investigation regarding me," he said.
Gokcek said that there were five separate complaints about himself, and the Interior Ministry examined the files and overturned them.
The mayor said that then, those who lodged a complaint applied to the Council of State, and then the same files were sent back to the Interior Ministry.
"The Interior Ministry will re-examine the files because the Council of State has asked the ministry to do so," he said.
Gokcek said that some circles were uneasy about his re-election as the mayor of Ankara on Sunday's local elections, and also said that he would sue those who were defaming him.
Melih Gokcek has been the mayor of Ankara since March 1994. He was re-elected to this position for the fourth time by winning more than 38 percent of votes on the local elections on March 29, 2009.