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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The mayor of Istanbul's Beyoglu district, Inan Guney, was arrested on Friday along with more than 40 others as part of an investigation into corruption in opposition-held municipalities.
'Let the hearts of my neighbors in Beyoglu, my family, and my party members be at ease. I have not engaged in any action that would embarrass anyone, nor will I. When my location and residence are known, being taken into custody from my home at six in the morning amid the tears of my three daughters clearly shows that the real purpose is political pressure,' Guney wrote in a post on Instagram.
Guney is from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), whose elected officials have faced a series of arrests this year, beginning with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March.
He and 44 others were detained on charges of leading a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, aggravated fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data, and tender rigging, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
CHP said the arrests were politically motivated. 'This operation is a revenge operation undertaken to cover up the damage suffered by the judicial gang and the AK Party,' party leader Ozgur Ozel said in a statement, referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
In July, state media reported that Turkish authorities detained three mayors in a corruption probe. All were members of CHP.
Many elected Kurdish officials have also been arrested in recent years.
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