Turkey Arrests Three Mayors Amid Opposition Crackdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Turkey arrested three opposition mayors, deepening a crackdown against President Erdogan’s political rivals. Authorities accuse them of bribery, corruption, and organized crime ties. Critics say Erdogan uses the judiciary to weaken Turkey’s main opposition party.
Turkey Mayors Crackdown Quick Looks
- Three CHP mayors arrested Saturday in southern Turkey.
- Allegations include bribery, bid-rigging, organized crime links.
- Istanbul mayor’s jailing triggered massive protests earlier.
- Justice minister defends independence of Turkish judiciary.
- Critics accuse Erdogan of weaponizing law against opposition.
- Over 130 officials arrested in recent anti-CHP sweep.
- Opposition says ruling party municipalities avoid similar scrutiny.
- CHP’s Imamoglu remains Erdogan’s key presidential rival.
Three Mayors Arrested in Southern Turkey Amid Crackdown on Opposition
Deep Look
ISTANBUL (AP) — Authorities in Turkey arrested the mayors of three major cities in the country’s south on Saturday, extending a sweeping crackdown against the opposition that has intensified since the imprisonment of Istanbul’s mayor earlier this year.
Abdurrahman Tutdere, mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who leads the Adana municipality, were taken into custody during early morning raids, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
In a separate probe, CHP mayor Muhittin Bocek of Antalya was arrested along with two others as part of a bribery investigation launched by the city’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Anadolu said.
The arrests deepen concerns over what critics describe as a campaign by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to undermine the CHP, Turkey’s main opposition force. Although Turkish officials insist the judiciary acts independently, the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March sparked the largest protests seen in the country in over a decade.
Karalar was arrested near Istanbul, while Tutdere was apprehended in Ankara, where he maintains a residence. Tutdere wrote on social media that he was being transferred to Istanbul. Meanwhile, police searched municipal buildings in both Adana and Adiyaman.
According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, eleven people—including Karalar and Tutdere—were detained in an investigation tied to alleged organized crime, bribery, and bid-rigging. Prosecutors claim the mayors sought “unfair financial benefits” from businesses working with their municipalities, based on evidence provided by a businessman who reportedly cooperated with authorities after being arrested for leading a criminal enterprise and paying bribes.
In recent months, dozens of officials from CHP-controlled municipalities have faced similar charges. Following Saturday’s arrests, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel convened senior party members to strategize a response.
Mansur Yavas, the CHP mayor of Ankara, questioned why municipalities led by Erdogan’s ruling party have not faced comparable scrutiny.
“In a system where the law bends to politics, where justice applies to one group and spares another, no one should expect us to trust the rule of law,” Yavas posted on social media.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc condemned such statements, calling them “irresponsible accusations” that aim to undermine judicial independence.
Imamoglu, widely seen as Erdogan’s most formidable rival after two decades in power, was jailed four months ago on corruption charges. As part of the broader investigation, Istanbul’s Buyukcekmece district’s deputy mayor was also arrested Saturday.
Earlier this week, former CHP mayor Tunc Soyer of Izmir—Turkey’s third-largest city—and 137 municipal officials were detained on charges related to alleged tender-rigging and fraud. Soyer and 59 others were formally jailed pending trial on Friday, a move his lawyer labeled “politically motivated and unlawful.”
Separately, the CHP mayor of Manavgat, a popular Mediterranean resort town, and 34 others were detained Friday over alleged corruption, state media reported.
Imamoglu has since been nominated as the CHP’s presidential candidate, positioning him as a significant challenger in Turkey’s next national election, scheduled for 2028 but potentially arriving sooner.
The arrests follow significant gains by the CHP in last year’s local elections, during which Adiyaman—a city severely impacted by the 2023 earthquake—shifted from Erdogan’s party to the opposition.
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