A Turkish court on Thursday ordered the arrest of a local youth leader from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over a social media post criticizing recently appointed Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.
Ramazan Yıldız, head of the CHP youth branch in İstanbul’s Adalar district, was detained following an investigation launched by the İstanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office after he shared an Instagram post about Gürlek. According to the Birgün daily, a criminal magistrate of the peace ruled for his arrest on charges of “targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts.”
CHP İstanbul provincial chairman Özgür Çelik condemned the arrest, saying the government “offers young people nothing but prisons and courtrooms.” He added that Turkey was facing “a system that seeks to suppress the opposition through the judiciary in order to prolong its exhausted rule.”
The arrest came on the same day that Cem Aydın, head of the party’s youth wing, received a suspended sentence of more than one year for insulting Gürlek during his tenure as İstanbul chief public prosecutor.
In a separate case Bilge Kağan Şarbat, head of the CHP youth branch in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district, was previously arrested on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was later released pending trial.
The CHP has faced a series of prosecutions criticized as politically motivated and the seizure of some of its municipalities through trustee appointments following its sweeping 2024 local election victory.
The pressure on the CHP and its municipalities has intensified since the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a senior member of the CHP considered to be the strongest political rival of President Erdoğan. He was detained along with dozens of İstanbul city officials and was named his party’s presidential candidate in March for the next general election scheduled for 2028.
İmamoğlu is accused of running what prosecutors call a “criminal organization” within the municipality. He has denied the accusations and says they are politically motivated.
