Amidst an anti-corruption campaign in Turkey, city mayors from opposition parties are being arrested one after another. In the spring, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested. Exactly 100 days later, the mayors of Adana, Adıyaman, and Antalya – Zeydan Karalar, Abdurrahman Tutdere, and Muhittin Böcek – were detained. Additionally, İzmir's former mayor, Tunç Soyer, is also among those arrested.
Redaksiya reports that a new wave of arrests began on July 4. First, Tunç Soyer was detained, followed by an operation against 130 of his supporters. Subsequently, the mayors of Adana, Adıyaman, and Antalya were also arrested. They face charges of bribery, membership in an organized crime network, and money laundering. A businessman named Azis İhsan Aktaş is acting as the main witness. According to the investigation, he led the criminal network but later regretted it and is now assisting in the restoration of justice.
All those accused are members of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Party leader Özgür Özel will also appear before the court. A hearing regarding alleged vote rigging during his election as chairman at the 2023 congress was scheduled for June 30, but the session has been postponed to September. If Özel loses, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu could return to the chairman's post.
CHP representatives believe that the reason for these events is the upcoming elections. According to the official calendar, elections are due in 2028, but the opposition thinks that Erdoğan intends to use a loophole in the law to hold snap elections and run again. The main rival, İmamoğlu, can no longer participate in presidential elections because the government has revoked his higher education diploma.
CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut stated that those who use the judicial system as a tool for political revenge are thinking not of justice, but of preserving their own power: “We will not bow to these dirty games that strike at the will of the people.”
According to Bulut, Erdoğan fears the opposition: “If the ruling party is truly the leading party, why is it acting with such cruelty? This is a sign of fear. But we are not afraid, because we are in the right. We have always stood with the poor. Our struggle will continue – until Ekrem İmamoğlu becomes president and our mayors return to their posts.”
In response, Erdoğan reminded that the judiciary in Turkey is independent and stated that the opposition is trying to defend criminals.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the arrests. Ankara, in turn, regarded Paris's statement as interference in the country's internal affairs. An official statement declared that Turkey ensures all its citizens the right to a fair and impartial trial in accordance with the principle of the rule of law.
The anti-corruption campaign began in October 2024. At that time, Ahmet Özer, the CHP head of Esenyurt, one of Istanbul's largest districts, was arrested. However, he was charged not with corruption, but with terrorism. Özel was immediately fined one million lira (approximately two million rubles) for calling Erdoğan a dictator.
In November, the mayors of Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti were removed from office. These cities are predominantly inhabited by a Kurdish population. They were members of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party and were accused of links to the PKK. In March, İmamoğlu also faced the same accusation – with an additional charge of corruption included.
The mayors of Adana, Adıyaman, and Antalya could also have been linked to the PKK, but in May, the PKK announced its dissolution. Erdoğan's team had been negotiating with Abdullah Öcalan on this matter for several years.
Sevinc Karimova