Turkish authorities intensified their crackdown on the opposition-led Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on Saturday, detaining 30 individuals in a widening corruption probe. Among those taken into custody are a former lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the mayors of three Istanbul districts governed by the CHP.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the arrests are linked to four separate investigations targeting the municipality. This latest wave marks the fifth round of legal action against the Istanbul administration since March 19.
The crackdown follows the controversial arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent CHP figure widely regarded as the strongest potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade grip on power.
Imamoglu’s detention on corruption charges triggered nationwide protests and renewed concerns over the state of democracy and judicial independence in Turkey.
A protester reads Erdogan’s book in front of Turkish riot police barricades during a protest against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, Turkey, 24 March 2025. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) was jailed and dismissed by the Turkish Ministry of Interior on 23 March on corruption charges following his detention on March 19 along with 100 others. EPA/NECATI SAVAS
Opposition leaders have condemned the investigations as politically motivated. “This time the coup didn’t come with boots and tanks, but with prosecutors’ robes,” CHP leader Özgür Özel told a rally of supporters in the northwestern city of Düzce on Saturday.
The Turkish government maintains that the judiciary operates independently and rejects allegations of political interference in the legal process.
