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Gulf Insider
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Erdogan Crackdown Continues With 500 Opposition Figures Arrested In 'Octopus' Probe
Turkish authorities have detained more than 500 members and officials of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) since October 2024 in an intensifying crackdown that has exclusively targeted municipalities held by the secularist party, according to a Reuters review of legal filings and state disclosures published on Thursday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended the campaign as an effort to dismantle a corrupt 'octopus' network with arms stretching 'to other parts of Turkiye and abroad.' His office has not responded to requests for comment on accusations of political interference or selective prosecution. The probe initially focused on Istanbul but has since spread to CHP-run cities including Izmir, Adana, Antalya, and Adiyaman – territories seized from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in last year's municipal elections. More than 220 individuals have been imprisoned or placed under house arrest, with 202 detained in the past week alone. Among those jailed is Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul and Erdogan's leading political rival, who was arrested in March on corruption charges he denies. A 121-page police transcript reviewed by Reuters alleges that Imamoglu's phone repeatedly connected to the same cell tower as individuals accused of bribery, to which he responded that his home was located nearby. Prosecutors have yet to issue indictments. Lawyers and party officials say the arrests lack a legal foundation. Mehmet Pehlivan, Imamoglu's lawyer, who was also jailed, said the probe attempts 'for the first time to criminalize the right to practice law.' Former AKP minister Ertugrul Gunay described the campaign as a 'tool for political attrition,' warning it reflects panic within Erdogan's camp over future elections. CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel called it 'a coup against Ataturk's party,' prompting a separate investigation against him for allegedly insulting the president. Three CHP mayors – Zeydan Karalar of Adana, Muhittin Bocek of Antalya, and Abdurrahman Tutdere of Adiyaman – were arrested on 5 July in what the party described as a 'political operation.' Their arrests followed the detention of over 120 individuals in Izmir. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas responded on X, saying, 'In a system where the law is bent and twisted according to politics … no one should expect us to trust the rule of law or believe in justice.'
Euronews
05-07-2025
- 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.
Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Turkish court issues arrest warrant for owner of pro-opposition TV channel
ANKARA - An Istanbul court has issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a television channel aligned with Turkey's main opposition party on charges of bid-rigging, the prosecutor's office said late on Tuesday. The arrest warrant for Cafer Mahiroglu, owner of Halk TV, was issued as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal organisation suspected of rigging public tenders by bribing public officials. Several main opposition CHP members including district mayors were arrested under the investigation, part of a widening legal crackdown against the jailed mayor of Istanbul, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, and the opposition. Mahiroglu, a Turkish businessperson who lives in London, denied the charges in a post on X. "I am being accused based on the fabricated false statements and slander of someone I have never met or seen in my life," he said, adding that he has been living abroad for 35 years. "So, there is a price to be the owner of Halk TV, the people's television, and to defend democracy, rights and law." He did not say if he would return to Turkey to contest the charges. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who leads Erdogan in some opinion polls, was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. His arrest triggered mass protests, economic turmoil and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government has denied the accusations and said the judiciary is independent. Since his arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Turkish court issues arrest warrant for owner of pro-opposition TV channel
ANKARA (Reuters) -An Istanbul court has issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a television channel aligned with Turkey's main opposition party on charges of bid-rigging, the prosecutor's office said late on Tuesday. The arrest warrant for Cafer Mahiroglu, owner of Halk TV, was issued as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal organisation suspected of rigging public tenders by bribing public officials. Several main opposition CHP members including district mayors were arrested under the investigation, part of a widening legal crackdown against the jailed mayor of Istanbul, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, and the opposition. Mahiroglu, a Turkish businessperson who lives in London, denied the charges in a post on X. "I am being accused based on the fabricated false statements and slander of someone I have never met or seen in my life," he said, adding that he has been living abroad for 35 years. "So, there is a price to be the owner of Halk TV, the people's television, and to defend democracy, rights and law." He did not say if he would return to Turkey to contest the charges. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who leads Erdogan in some opinion polls, was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. His arrest triggered mass protests, economic turmoil and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government has denied the accusations and said the judiciary is independent. Since his arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkish prosecutors investigate main opposition leader in crackdown
ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the head of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on charges of threatening and insulting Istanbul's chief prosecutor, adding to a broad crackdown on the opposition. The clampdown is centred on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and leads him in some polls. The CHP's Imamoglu was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that it launched the probe into CHP leader Ozgur Ozel over comments he made about the chief prosecutor at a rally in Istanbul on Wednesday, criticising the targeting of the opposition. CHP spokesman Deniz Yucel criticised the decision to open the investigation. "We will not succumb to this system of lawlessness that you have created," he said on X. Imamoglu's arrest in March triggered mass protests, economic turmoil and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government denies the accusations and says the judiciary is independent. Since his arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. Access to Imamoglu's X account was also blocked in Turkey this month.
