Turkish police detained at least 40 people Friday in the opposition stronghold of İstanbul, including the mayor of the central district of Beyoğlu and several of his close advisers, Turkish media reported.
The latest wave of detentions over “corruption” allegations is part of a months-long crackdown targeting the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, considered the biggest political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested in March and subsequently imprisoned.
His arrest sparked unprecedented protests in the country not seen in more than a decade.
In addition to İmamoğlu, nine of İstanbul’s 26 CHP district mayors have been arrested and imprisoned since October, most of them on corruption charges, accusations they deny.
According to analysts, the government is attempting to undermine the CHP, which emerged as the clear winner in local elections in the spring of 2024 at the expense of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party.
© Agence France-Presse
