Turkey’s Interior Ministry on Thursday announced the suspension of five district mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), following their arrests earlier this week as part of a widening investigation targeting opposition-led municipalities.
The mayors of Avcılar, Büyükçekmece, and Gaziosmanpaşa in Istanbul, along with the mayors of Seyhan and Ceyhan in Adana, were officially removed from office pending judicial proceedings. All five were detained over the weekend and formally arrested on Wednesday.
With the latest move, a total of 11 CHP mayors have now been suspended since investigations began last year. Among those previously removed are high-profile figures such as Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, arrested in March on corruption charges, and district mayors from Beşiktaş, Beykoz, Beylikdüzü, Şişli, and Esenyurt.
The suspensions stem from a series of corruption investigations led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities say the probes involve alleged financial misconduct and tender manipulation in municipal contracts. Businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş has been named as the suspected leader of a criminal network at the center of the case.
In the latest wave of detentions, 22 individuals were placed in pretrial custody, including the five mayors, CHP Party Council member Baki Aydöner, and former CHP lawmaker Aykut Erdoğdu. Fourteen others were released under judicial supervision.
The detentions have drawn criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups, particularly after video footage emerged showing the mayors being escorted in handcuffs at the Istanbul Courthouse. CHP officials described the images as degrading and politically motivated.
Investigations into CHP municipalities began in October 2024, initially focusing on Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was arrested on separate terrorism-related charges. Since then, the scope has expanded to include multiple districts in Istanbul and, more recently, Adana.
The crackdown comes in the aftermath of the CHP’s sweeping victory in the March 2024 local elections, which saw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffer its worst electoral setback in two decades.
İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure and presidential hopeful, was announced as the CHP’s candidate on March 23—just hours before his arrest. His detention sparked nationwide protests, marking the largest public demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade.
Opposition leaders have accused President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government of using the judiciary to suppress political dissent and dismantle local democratic institutions under CHP control.
