A Turkish court has accepted an indictment seeking prison sentences ranging from three to 45 years for 65 defendants, including former İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) İzmir provincial chair Şenol Aslanoğlu, in what critics describe as part of a politically driven crackdown on the CHP ,Turkish Minute reported.
The İzmir 23rd High Criminal Court approved the case, which stems from a July 4 police operation targeting alleged irregularities in housing construction projects in İzmir’s Örnekköy, Gaziemir and Karabağlar districts. Soyer, Aslanoğlu and 43 others were detained, with 11 defendants, including both politicians, still in pretrial detention.
Prosecutors accuse the defendants of “aggravated fraud” committed jointly and repeatedly, allegedly using public institutions, political parties, professional chambers and other organizations to facilitate the crimes. The indictment cites 449 alleged victims, seven complainants and several state bodies, including the finance and interior ministries, as harmed parties.
The court is expected to set a trial date and review the detention status of the jailed defendants next week. CHP İzmir provincial legal commission chair Murat Aydın said the accused will answer all allegations in court, insisting that “it will become clear by the end of the trial that none of the defendants committed any criminal act.”
İstanbul corruption probe: 5 arrested, 20 released under judicial supervision
Five people were arrested on Friday as part of an ongoing corruption investigation targeting the İstanbul Municipality, while 20 others were released under judicial supervision, Turkish media reported.
They were among 25 suspects who were detained earlier this week and referred to court on Thursday as part of an expanding probe into alleged irregularities within the municipality.
The operation is the latest in a series of investigations targeting the İstanbul Municipality, whose mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure from the CHP and his party’s presidential candidate for the next election, is currently behind bars.
The mayor, seen as the strongest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested on March 23 on corruption charges, widely seen as politically motivated. His detention on March 19 led to widespread protests unseen in Turkey since the anti-government protests of 2013.
The CHP has been under a harsh crackdown for about a year that has so far led to the arrest of 17 CHP mayors and dozens of party officials.
