Latest news with #AbdurrahmanTutdere
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Turkey detains mayors of opposition-run Antalya, Adana, Adıyaman
As part of the ongoing operations against the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) municipalities, Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were detained on Saturday morning. CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut announced soon after that Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek was also detained. Bulut said on his social media platform X, "Those who use the judiciary as a stick for political revenge do not care about the law, but about protecting their own power. We will never submit to this dirty system that strikes a blow to the will of the nation," Bulut said. "I was detained from my house in Ankara in the morning. I am being taken to Istanbul," CHP Mayor of Adıyaman Abdurrahman Tutdere said on his X account. Authorities reportedly executed a raid of the Adana municipality building, backed by a search warrant, which coincided with Mayor Karalar's detention. Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organisation", arrest warrants were issued for 10 people, including the detained mayors. Aktaş was detained in investigations targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). The businessman was arrested for allegedly leading a "criminal organisation", before being released on 4 June citing "effective repentance". Erdoğan previously hinted at corruption in other provinces Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan previously backed the ongoing operations, saying "the documents are all in the open. Unfortunately, the situation is disastrous not only in Istanbul but also in other provinces," stressing the need for urgent sweeps to combat corruption. An investigation against the country's third largest city of Izmir soon followed. on 1 July, raids of the municipality building were carried out, in which 138 people, including Mayor Tunç Soyer and CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu were detained. A few days later, on 4 July, 35 more individuals - of a total of 99 with pending arrest warrants - were detained including Heval Savaş Kaya, who heads IZBETON, a concrete production company subsidised by the Izmir municipality. On the same day an investigation was launched against the CHP-run Antalya and Manavgat provinces. Detention warrants were issued for 36 people, including Manavgat Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara. The crackdown started with Istanbul This legal process against CHP municipalities kicked off with Istanbul. Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on 18 March, one day after his diploma from Istanbul University was revoked, and then arrested on 23 March as part of a corruption and bribery investigation. İmamoğlu's arrest came just days before he was set to officially be nominated as the CHP's presidential candidate in the 2028 elections. The Istanbul mayor is widely regarded as the main political rival to Erdoğan, and his targeting is seen by many as an attempt to eliminate his competition. Erdoğan denied the allegations as he doubled-down saying tips of widescale corruption came from members within the CHP ranks, and hinted that the party is aware his government is justified in its investigation. "They know very well that the biggest radishes are still in the saddlebags. This is the reason for their panic," noted the Turkish president. The "biggest radish is still in the saddlebag" is a Turkish idiom which hints at a bigger leverage or surprise that would be used when necessary. İmamoğlu was however announced as the CHP's presidential candidate with nearly 15 million votes on the day of his arrest. He was then forcibly suspended from his post as mayor in a decision announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Nuri Aslan, a CHP municipal council member, was selected to replace İmamoğlu in an interim capacity. The mass protests triggered by İmamoğlu's detention and subsequent arrest turned into the largest demonstrations Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Protests were met with a harsh police responce, as pepper spray, tear gas and water cannons were deployed to quel the unrest. Protests in other cities, including Izmir and the capital Ankara were also met with a violent crackdown. More than 2,000 people were detained, including journalists. Some 300 people were arrested after their detentions and charged in court.
Rudaw Net
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey detains three opposition mayors
Also in Turkey Poll shows 65 percent support for Turkey-PKK peace Hope for peace grows with new library in Turkey's Hakkari New superstition emerges in Diyarbakir AKP lawmaker labels Kurdistan Region's role in PKK disarmament 'very important' A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish authorities on Saturday detained three mayors as part of an investigation into corruption, state media reported. All three are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The mayors of the southern cities of Antalya and Adana, as well as the southeastern Kurdish city of Adiyaman (Semsur) were arrested on charges of fixing tenders through bribing mayors and senior municipal executives, according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency. 'This morning, I was detained from my house in Ankara. I am being taken to Istanbul,' Adiyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere said on X. Zeydan Karalar, mayor of Adana, vowed to 'continue the struggle' after he was detained. The arrests are part of a wider investigation into alleged graft within CHP-led administrations, according to Anadolu. Ankara mayor and CHP strongman Mansur Yavas blasted the arrests as a targeted campaign against the party. 'In a system where the law is bent and twisted according to politics, where justice is applied for one segment and ignored for another, no one should expect us to trust the rule of law or believe in justice,' he said on X. 'We will not bow to injustice, unlawfulness, and political operations.' In Turkey's 2024 municipal elections, Karalar received 46.7 percent of the vote, Tutdere scored 49.7 percent, and Antalya's Muhittin Bocek took 71.4 percent. The practice of dismissing elected officials has been ongoing for years. Dozens of mainly Kurdish mayors have been removed from their posts since 2016 and sentenced on terrorism-related charges for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara has designated a terrorist organization. More recently, the AKP-led government has cracked down on CHP and other opposition mayors, detaining them largely on cases of alleged corruption. On Thursday, a raid sparked by an alleged corruption case at the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality - a key CHP bastion - resulted in the arrests of 60 people, including former Izmir mayor Tunc Soyer and the head of CHP's Izmir branch Senol Aslanoglu. In March, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was sacked from his position on charges of corruption. Considered the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming 2028 elections, his arrest sparked Turkey's worst unrest in a decade, which in turn led to a massive crackdown on protests. The dismissed mayors are replaced with state-appointed trustees.
LBCI
4 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Turkey arrests three more opposition mayors
Turkey arrested three more opposition mayors early on Saturday, media reports said, indicating it was part of an investigation into alleged organized crime. The arrests targeted the mayors of the southern city of Adana, Zeydan Karalar, and of the southeastern town of Adiyaman, Abdurrahman Tutderethe, Anadolu state news agency said. The leftwing Sozcu newspaper said the mayor of the southern resort town of Antalya was also detained. AFP
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Mayors arrested in Turkey's crackdown on opposition
The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey are behind bars, state-run media reports, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were arrested in early-morning raids on Saturday, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was arrested with two other suspects in a separate bribery investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolu reported. Karalar was arrested in Istanbul and Tutdere was arrested in the capital, Ankara, where he has a home. Tutdere posted on X that he was being taken to Istanbul. Ten people, including Karalar and Tutdere, were arrested as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into allegations involving organised crime, bribery and bid-rigging. Details of the charges against them were not immediately released but the operation follows the arrests of scores of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP in recent months. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's 22-year rule, was jailed four months ago over corruption allegations. The former CHP mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, and 137 municipal officials were detained earlier this week as part of an investigation into alleged tender-rigging and fraud. On Friday, ex-mayor Tunc Soyer and 59 others were jailed pending trial in what Soyer's lawyer described as "a clearly unjust, unlawful and politically motivated decision". Also Friday, it was reported by state-run media that the CHP mayor of Manavgat, a Mediterranean resort city in Antalya province, and 34 others were detained over alleged corruption. CHP officials have faced waves of arrests in 2025 that many consider aimed at neutralising Turkey's main opposition party. The government insists prosecutors and the judiciary act independently but the arrest of Istanbul's Imamoglu led to the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Imamoglu was officially nominated as his party's presidential candidate following his imprisonment. Turkey's next election is due in 2028 but could come sooner. The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey are behind bars, state-run media reports, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were arrested in early-morning raids on Saturday, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was arrested with two other suspects in a separate bribery investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolu reported. Karalar was arrested in Istanbul and Tutdere was arrested in the capital, Ankara, where he has a home. Tutdere posted on X that he was being taken to Istanbul. Ten people, including Karalar and Tutdere, were arrested as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into allegations involving organised crime, bribery and bid-rigging. Details of the charges against them were not immediately released but the operation follows the arrests of scores of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP in recent months. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's 22-year rule, was jailed four months ago over corruption allegations. The former CHP mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, and 137 municipal officials were detained earlier this week as part of an investigation into alleged tender-rigging and fraud. On Friday, ex-mayor Tunc Soyer and 59 others were jailed pending trial in what Soyer's lawyer described as "a clearly unjust, unlawful and politically motivated decision". Also Friday, it was reported by state-run media that the CHP mayor of Manavgat, a Mediterranean resort city in Antalya province, and 34 others were detained over alleged corruption. CHP officials have faced waves of arrests in 2025 that many consider aimed at neutralising Turkey's main opposition party. The government insists prosecutors and the judiciary act independently but the arrest of Istanbul's Imamoglu led to the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Imamoglu was officially nominated as his party's presidential candidate following his imprisonment. Turkey's next election is due in 2028 but could come sooner. The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey are behind bars, state-run media reports, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were arrested in early-morning raids on Saturday, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was arrested with two other suspects in a separate bribery investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolu reported. Karalar was arrested in Istanbul and Tutdere was arrested in the capital, Ankara, where he has a home. Tutdere posted on X that he was being taken to Istanbul. Ten people, including Karalar and Tutdere, were arrested as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into allegations involving organised crime, bribery and bid-rigging. Details of the charges against them were not immediately released but the operation follows the arrests of scores of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP in recent months. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's 22-year rule, was jailed four months ago over corruption allegations. The former CHP mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, and 137 municipal officials were detained earlier this week as part of an investigation into alleged tender-rigging and fraud. On Friday, ex-mayor Tunc Soyer and 59 others were jailed pending trial in what Soyer's lawyer described as "a clearly unjust, unlawful and politically motivated decision". Also Friday, it was reported by state-run media that the CHP mayor of Manavgat, a Mediterranean resort city in Antalya province, and 34 others were detained over alleged corruption. CHP officials have faced waves of arrests in 2025 that many consider aimed at neutralising Turkey's main opposition party. The government insists prosecutors and the judiciary act independently but the arrest of Istanbul's Imamoglu led to the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Imamoglu was officially nominated as his party's presidential candidate following his imprisonment. Turkey's next election is due in 2028 but could come sooner. The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey are behind bars, state-run media reports, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were arrested in early-morning raids on Saturday, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was arrested with two other suspects in a separate bribery investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolu reported. Karalar was arrested in Istanbul and Tutdere was arrested in the capital, Ankara, where he has a home. Tutdere posted on X that he was being taken to Istanbul. Ten people, including Karalar and Tutdere, were arrested as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into allegations involving organised crime, bribery and bid-rigging. Details of the charges against them were not immediately released but the operation follows the arrests of scores of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP in recent months. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's 22-year rule, was jailed four months ago over corruption allegations. The former CHP mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, and 137 municipal officials were detained earlier this week as part of an investigation into alleged tender-rigging and fraud. On Friday, ex-mayor Tunc Soyer and 59 others were jailed pending trial in what Soyer's lawyer described as "a clearly unjust, unlawful and politically motivated decision". Also Friday, it was reported by state-run media that the CHP mayor of Manavgat, a Mediterranean resort city in Antalya province, and 34 others were detained over alleged corruption. CHP officials have faced waves of arrests in 2025 that many consider aimed at neutralising Turkey's main opposition party. The government insists prosecutors and the judiciary act independently but the arrest of Istanbul's Imamoglu led to the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Imamoglu was officially nominated as his party's presidential candidate following his imprisonment. Turkey's next election is due in 2028 but could come sooner.
Bloomberg
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Turkey Detains Three Mayors in Widening Probe, Anadolu Reports
Turkish police detained the mayors of three cities and a number of other officials, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, in an escalation of a probe into municipalities governed by the opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. Zeydan Karalar, Muhittin Bocek and Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayors of Adana, Antalya and Adiyaman respectively, were taken into custody on Saturday, Anadolu reported. The raids are an extension of earlier investigations into alleged graft within CHP-led administrations, the agency said.
