Turkey Detains Three More Opposition Mayors, Says Party

• Latest arrest adds pressure on the opposition.
• Ekrem Imamoglu is seen as a significant political adversary for the 2028 election.
• Police apprehended 137 individuals in a supposed corruption investigation in Izmir this week.

Turkiye witnessed more tensions as three opposition mayors were detained early Saturday under allegations of corruption, which officials from the CHP labeled a “political maneuver.”

These recent arrests are part of a broader trend of targeting elected members of the CHP by the government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, particularly after the CHP secured a notable win against his AKP in the 2024 local elections and is gaining traction in the polls.

The detentions connect back to an inquiry into corruption that led to the removal of Istanbul’s influential opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, whose imprisonment incited widespread protests—the most significant unrest in Turkiye since 2013.

Imamoglu stands as Erdogan’s most formidable political foe and is viewed as the CHP’s candidate for the upcoming presidential election in 2028.

Earlier this week, police arrested 137 people as part of a corruption investigation in Izmir, Turkiye’s third-largest city. They are still on the lookout for others, as a prosecutor’s warrant details 157 individuals.

The newly detained mayors hail from southern Turkiye: Zeydan Karalar of Adana, Muhittin Bocek from Antalya, and Abdurrahman Tutdere of Adiyaman.

As he was escorted to a police vehicle, a reporter inquired why Karalar was being taken into custody.

“Those who possess influence—be it journalists or politicians—are silenced,” he responded.

“In a system where the law twists and turns based on political needs, and where justice serves one group and neglects another, no one should anticipate trust in the legal system or faith in justice,” stated Mansur Yavas, the opposition mayor of Ankara.

“We will stand firm against oppression, lawlessness, and political schemes.”

The pro-Kurdish DEM party, the third-largest group in Turkiye’s parliament, condemned the arrests in no uncertain terms.

“This persecution of elected leaders must end,” remarked DEM co-president Tulay Hatimogullari.

“Ignoring the verdicts of the electorate and dismissing the people’s will creates significant divisions,” she added. “These actions are not a remedy; instead, they obstruct the path towards a democratic Turkiye.”

In recent months, DEM has collaborated with Erdogan’s administration to advance negotiations aimed at resolving the long-standing conflict with the Kurds, culminating in talks in May that resulted in Kurdish PKK militants ceasing their violent struggle, which had claimed nearly 40,000 lives.

Saturday’s arrests mark yet another round of legal actions against the CHP.

An Ankara court commenced hearings earlier this week regarding allegations of vote-buying during the CHP’s 2023 leadership election, which could potentially annul the election of CHP’s popular leader, Ozgur Ozel, known for his role in the March protests.

The Anadolu news agency reported that the mayors from Adana and Adiyaman are tied to a case initiated by the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office surrounding accusations of bribery and contract-fixing.

Additionally, police took Ahmet Sahin, the deputy mayor of Istanbul’s Buyukcekmece district, into custody as part of the same ongoing investigation, according to the BirGun news outlet.

The mayor of Antalya is being held on unrelated allegations of bribery, along with his son, as part of a different investigation initiated by the chief public prosecutor of the resort town.