Turkey: Second Wave of Arrests Targets Opposition Mayors and Officials Over Corruption Allegations

Turkish authorities have arrested three more officials belonging to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), accusing them of corruption. Those detained include Zeydan Karalar, mayor of Adana in southern Turkey; Abdurrahman Tutdere, mayor of Adıyaman in eastern Turkey; and Murat Bozkurt, mayor of Antalya. The first two arrests were carried out as part of investigations led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, while the arrest of Murat Bozkurt falls under a similar investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Reports also indicate that Ahmet Sahin, deputy mayor of Büyükçekmece in Istanbul, was among those detained. The mayor of the same city is already in pre-trial detention. On Tuesday, July 1, former Izmir Mayor Tunç Soyer was arrested as part of an arrest warrant targeting 157 municipal officials and CHP members. This marks the second major wave of arrests against CHP mayors and officials, following the March 19 detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. In addition, mayors from nine other district municipalities in Istanbul and two more from Adana are currently in custody.