Turkish authorities have issued detention warrants for 47 city officials, district mayors, and municipal staff across Istanbul, as part of a widening crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday.
The warrants stem from four separate corruption investigations focused on Istanbul’s municipal administration. Authorities did not disclose how many individuals have been detained so far.
The move comes amid a broader campaign that has rocked Turkey’s political landscape since the March 19 arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the CHP’s most prominent figure and declared presidential candidate for the 2028 elections. İmamoğlu’s imprisonment on corruption charges—widely dismissed by critics as politically motivated—has sparked the country’s largest street protests in a decade and deepened fears of creeping authoritarianism under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The latest wave of detentions reportedly includes a former opposition member of parliament and five sitting district mayors, according to Anadolu. Independent broadcaster Halk TV, which is close to the CHP, stated that a total of nine district mayors—nearly a quarter of Istanbul’s 39 districts—are now in custody.
Earlier raids had already targeted key figures in the city administration, including İmamoğlu’s private secretary and head of security.
In response to the escalating pressure, the CHP’s Istanbul branch convened an emergency meeting. However, party leader Özgür Özel has refused to cancel upcoming rallies, signaling defiance in the face of what many see as an orchestrated attempt to dismantle opposition rule in Turkey’s most populous and economically vital city.
Analysts say the crackdown reflects a concerted effort by Erdoğan’s government to reclaim political dominance in Istanbul, a symbolic stronghold for the opposition and a potential launchpad for national leadership.
With İmamoğlu behind bars and multiple district mayors detained, the CHP’s ability to maintain municipal governance—and prepare for the 2028 presidential contest—now faces unprecedented strain.
