Dozens of opposition members in Turkiye arrested: media reports
The latest wave of arrests, over alleged corruption, is part of a months-long crackdown targeting the main Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, considered the biggest political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March and subsequently imprisoned.
His arrest sparked protests in the country on a scale not seen in more than a decade.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel wrote on X on Friday (August 15, 2025) that, in '149 days, the judiciary has not managed to produce an indictment'.
'Because they only have slanderous accusations like 'I heard that',' he added.
Ozel called the wave of arrests 'vengeance which aims to cover up the damage caused (to the country) by the AKP gang' of Erdogan, who has been in power since 2022.
Also read: Turkey Opposition crackdown spreads to Izmir with 157 detentions
In addition to Imamoglu and the mayor of Beyoglu, Inan Guney, nine of Istanbul's 26 CHP district mayors have been arrested and imprisoned since October, most of them on corruption charges which they deny.
CHP mayors from a number of other cities have also been arrested.
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 Erdogan's Justice and Development Party.
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The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Dozens of opposition members in Turkiye arrested: media reports
Turkish police arrested 44 people Friday (August 15, 2025) in the Opposition stronghold of Istanbul, including the mayor of the central district of Beyoglu and several of his close advisers, the Anadolu news agency reported. The latest wave of arrests, over alleged corruption, is part of a months-long crackdown targeting the main Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, considered the biggest political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March and subsequently imprisoned. His arrest sparked protests in the country on a scale not seen in more than a decade. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel wrote on X on Friday (August 15, 2025) that, in '149 days, the judiciary has not managed to produce an indictment'. 'Because they only have slanderous accusations like 'I heard that',' he added. Ozel called the wave of arrests 'vengeance which aims to cover up the damage caused (to the country) by the AKP gang' of Erdogan, who has been in power since 2022. Also read: Turkey Opposition crackdown spreads to Izmir with 157 detentions In addition to Imamoglu and the mayor of Beyoglu, Inan Guney, nine of Istanbul's 26 CHP district mayors have been arrested and imprisoned since October, most of them on corruption charges which they deny. CHP mayors from a number of other cities have also been arrested. 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 Erdogan's Justice and Development Party.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
China's planned Turkish EV factories have yet to power up
WHEN BYD, China's biggest electric carmaker, offered a $1bn investment in the summer of 2024, Turkey rolled out the red carpet. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country's president, attended the signing ceremony. Officials in Manisa, where the company plans to open a new factory, mused about a future 'Chinatown' to house BYD workers. Yet a year down the line, despite reports the company would accelerate work on the plant at the expense of one in Hungary, things have not progressed much. The factory is supposed to open next year, but there are no signs of construction save for a few containers and the occasional dump truck. Turkey's location and relatively low labour costs make it a big draw for Chinese EV makers. So does its customs-union agreement with the European Union, which allows cars built in Turkey to be exported to the bloc tariff-free. Last year the EU slapped tariffs of up to 35%, on top of an existing 10% duty, on Chinese EVs. Other Chinese auto makers looking to Turkey as a way to avoid the tariffs include Chery, said to be eyeing a $1bn investment. China is also keen to grab a slice of Turkey's booming domestic EV market. High fuel prices and an extortionate consumption tax of up to 220% for conventional vehicles have driven up demand for EVs. Over 100,000 fully electric cars were sold in Turkey in the seven months to July, an increase of 147% on the same period in 2024. Desperate for foreign investment but hoping to stem the tide of cheap Chinese EVs—which threaten its own electric carmaker, TOGG—Turkey has sought to solve both problems in one go. Last year the country raised tariffs on Chinese cars to 50%. But it made BYD and other carmakers who pledge to invest in Turkey exempt. Sales of BYD cars have surged. On paper TOGG, one of Mr Erdogan's flagship projects, has fared well. Since its launch in 2023, it has outsold every other EV brand at home, partly thanks to government support. But competition from foreign EVs and the prospect of 150,000 BYD cars per year from the plant in Manisa could spell trouble. 'They may not survive in such a market,' says Cagdas Ungor of Marmara University. Chinese investments in Turkey amount to only some $5bn, lower than in Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Iraq. Politics is no longer the main obstacle. Turkey has toned down its criticism of China's treatment of its Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group. The biggest brake is instead Turkey's rule-of-law record. Mr Erdogan and his inner circle enjoy nearly unchecked power. 'Regulations and tariff decisions are made overnight without any consultations with the key actors,' says Ceren Ergenc of the Centre for European Policy Studies, a Brussels think-tank. 'China perceives that as a high risk.' China's EV operations in Turkey have not escaped scrutiny by EU bureaucrats. Earlier this year the European Commission warned that it would go after countries and companies that engage in tariff circumvention. EU anti-dumping rules mean that cars made in Turkey could face punitive tariffs if imported parts account for 60% or more of their value, unless assembly adds over 25% to manufacturing costs. To have unfettered access to the EU market, companies like BYD will need to source at least some parts from Turkey. Fear of pushback from the EU may explain why work in Manisa has slowed. Firms like BYD are hedging their bets, says Ms Ergenc, and waiting for the EU and China to settle their EV tariff dispute. Local officials and other analysts say BYD will finish the factory, though perhaps not on time. Turkey may be a convenient backdoor to the EU, but the Chinese have not yet prised it open. To stay on top of the biggest European stories, sign up to Café Europa, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.
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First Post
2 days ago
- First Post
Another Erdogan political opponent, Turkey's 16th mayor, goes to jail over 'corruption'
Among those currently in prison is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, who is being investigated on charges of corruption and links to terrorism Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a protest rally in Istanbul on May 18, 2018, against the recent killings of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and the US embassy move to Jerusalem. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) Turkish police detained 40 people, including the mayor of Istanbul's central Beyoglu district, as part of a corruption investigation, state broadcaster TRT Haber said on Friday, the latest wave in a crackdown on the opposition. Beyoglu Mayor Inan Guney from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was the 16th mayor to have been taken into custody in the crackdown, in which a total of more than 500 people have been detained in less than a year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among those currently in prison is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, who is being investigated on charges of corruption and links to terrorism. The CHP denies the charges and calls them an attempt to eliminate a democratic alternative, a charge the government rejects. TRT Haber said those held in the latest operation are suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities at companies linked to the Istanbul municipality. Arrest warrants were issued for a total of 44 people, including the 40 detained, it said. On Thursday, CHP mayor Ozlem Cercioglu from the western city of Aydin joined Erdogan's ruling AK Party, citing disagreements with the CHP administration. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters, without providing evidence, that AKP officials had threatened Cercioglu with legal investigations into her municipality and arrest unless she joined the ruling party. AKP deputy chair Hayati Yazici called Ozel's allegation 'completely untrue'. Cercioglu also rejected the claim.
