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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Turkey arrests five mayors from CHP opposition party
Representative image (TOI) ISTANBUL: Turkish police arrested five opposition mayors early Wednesday alongside 17 others as part of a probe into corruption allegations at CHP-held municipalities, a party spokesman told AFP. The latest arrests targeted a former lawmaker and three CHP mayors in Istanbul, and two more in the southern province of Adana, the spokesman said. The latest round of arrests brings to nine the total number of CHP mayors in Istanbul province that have been jailed, he said, which includes the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With the two arrests in Adana, that raises the total to 11 CHP mayors. The latest investigation began at the weekend when a court issued arrest orders for 47 municipal officials in connection with four separate corruption investigations centred on Istanbul, local media reported. The March 19 arrest and jailing of Imamoglu sparked the biggest street protests Turkey had seen in more than a decade. Police had already detained nearly 70 people in subsequent raids linked to alleged corruption at Istanbul City Hall, including Imamoglu's private secretary and his private protection officer. The CHP has nominated Imamoglu as its candidate in presidential elections due in 2028 but whether he can run in the elections depends on the fate of numerous trials and probes.
Al Arabiya
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Fresh arrests in graft case linked to jailed Istanbul mayor
Police in Turkey have detained nearly 70 people in raids linked to alleged corruption at Istanbul City Hall, two months after the jailing of its mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, media reports said Friday. Around 44 people were arrested in dawn raids on Friday, with police still searching for another five in line with a warrant for 49 people issued by the Istanbul public prosecutor's office, the BirGun newspaper reported. Another 20 were picked up in a string of operations that began on Tuesday, the newspaper said. Imamoglu was arrested then jailed two months ago on corruption charges he denies, a move that sparked Turkey's worst protest in decades. He was widely seen as the biggest political rival to longtime President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his jailing is likely to prevent him from running in the 2028 presidential election. Among those picked up in the latest raids were Imamoglu's private secretary and his private protection officer, with police conducting raids across Turkey, it said. In a statement published early Friday, the Istanbul public prosecutor's office said it had ordered the police's financial crimes unit to arrest 49 people with 'detention, search and seizure operations ongoing.' It said the warrant was in connection with unspecified 'irregularities.' Another 20 people were detained in arrest operations that began on May 20 for allegedly organizing irregular tenders and accepting bribes, among them City's Hall's head of public relations, BirGun said late Thursday.
New Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Nearly 50 held in Turkiye in probe into opposition Istanbul mayor's 'graft' case
ISTANBUL: Istanbul prosecutors today said nearly 50 people had been arrested in a probe into the graft case of Istanbul's opposition mayor, whose jailing last month sparked nationwide protests. When Ekrem Imamoglu from the main opposition CHP was arrested on March 19, huge crowds began rallying in protest outside Istanbul City Hall every night with the demonstrations quickly spreading across the country in Turkiye's biggest wave of unrest since 2013. Istanbul's general prosecutor said "47 people have been arrested". According to local reports, those detained included Imamoglu's aide and brother-in-law Kadriye Kasapoglu and city hall officials. The Bir Gun news site, which is close to the opposition, said raids were underway in the homes of those detained in Ankara, Istanbul and Tekirdag in the country's north-west. Ozgur Celik, the provincial head of CHP in Istanbul, said the arrests were linked to the municipality's opposition to a divisive canal project aimed at connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The project was initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2011 when he was prime minister to relieve congestion in the Bosphorus Strait, a 50km-long, 150m-wide and 25m-deep stretch. It has been vehemently opposed by environmentalists because it would encroach on natural and agricultural land and alter a reservoir that partially supplies Istanbul with water. "Today's operation is no coincidence," Celik said on X, adding that Istanbul's Water and Sewage Authority had ordered the demolition and shutdown of construction sites along the canal route. "The municipal employees who opposed (the project) are currently at the main police station," he said. The deputy chairman of the CHP parliamentary group, Gokhan Gunaydin, said "the real reason for these arrests is the Istanbul Canal". Turkish authorities have launched a social housing project and recently put land adjacent to the route of the future canal up for sale. Imamoglu was arrested for alleged graft on the day he was named the CHP's candidate for the 2028 presidential race. He is a key foe of Erdogan, whose AKP has ruled Turkiye since 2002. Imamoglu's arrest, which was widely denounced as a means to leave the CHP leaderless, has also had economic implications. Aside from an opposition call to boycott firms seen as close to the government, Istanbul's benchmark BIST 100 stock exchange fell by nearly 14 per cent over the month. And the Turkish lira shed almost eight per cent against the dollar, reaching an all-time low despite a US$50-billion injection by the central bank to limit the damage. — AFP
Al-Ahram Weekly
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
More journalists detained by Turkey in dawn raids after covering anti-government protests - Region
Two journalists were detained in dawn raids in Istanbul early Friday as part of a crackdown on media workers covering Turkey's largest protests in more than a decade, their outlets reported. Elif Bayburt, who works for the Etkin News Agency, and Nisa Suda Demirel, from the Evrensel news website, were the latest to be arrested in early morning sweeps that have targeted political activists and trade unionists as well as journalists. 'Our reporter, Nisa Sude Demirel, was detained by the police who came to her house at around 6 a.m. this morning,' Evrensel said in a statement. 'Demirel, who was following the (Istanbul City Hall) protests and the boycotts at the universities, was taken to the Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Branch office.' The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul's opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges that many see as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference. Reporters Without Borders condemned the journalists' arrests. 'There is no end to the detentions of journalists,' its Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu said. The Turkish Journalists' Union called for the news media to be allowed to do its work and an 'end to these unlawful detentions.' Earlier this week, 11 journalists were detained in morning raids. Although initially jailed pending trial, they were freed Thursday but still face charges of 'taking part in illegal rallies and marches.' Turkey's broadcasting authority issued a 10-day airwave ban on Sozcu TV on Thursday, as well as fines and program suspensions to other opposition channels. A reporter from the U.K.'s BBC was also deported Thursday. The editor-in-chief of Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC said Friday that its reporter had gone missing. Joakim Medin has not been heard from since he wrote that he was being taken for questioning after arriving in Istanbul on Thursday to cover the protests, Andreas Gustavsson wrote on the paper's website. 'Children being treated like terrorists' Courthouses across Turkey are dealing with a spike in cases as a result of the protests. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Thursday that nearly 1,900 people had been arrested since March 19. Anxious families have been gathering outside court buildings to await the fate of their loved ones, who police can hold for four days. 'The youth we call Generation Z are more likely to participate in these protests. They sense that something is wrong," Savas Ozbek, whose daughter was detained Sunday, told ANKA News Agency outside Ankara Courthouse late Thursday. Zeynep Ulger, who was waiting for news of her friend, said they were protesting for a 'free, democratic country,' adding: 'The only thing we have achieved in the face of this is being beaten by the police on the streets and being detained.' Istanbul-based lawyer Arif Anil Ozturk, who represents many detained protesters, gave his insight into court proceedings. 'It is an unlawful process from beginning to end,' he told the Cumhuriyet newspaper. 'There is no evidence, no footage. Children… are being treated like terrorists.' Nightly Istanbul rallies organized by Imamoglu's Republican People's Party, or CHP, ended Tuesday. In other cities, and in Istanbul since the end of the CHP gatherings, largely peaceful protests have been more organic. Police, however, have used tear gas, water cannon and plastic pellets to suppress demonstrations that have been banned in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Lawyers detained At the Middle East Technical University campus on the outskirts of the capital Ankara, nine students were detained early Friday, opposition politicians who visited the site said. 'Young people have set up tents inside (the campus). Officious administrators have evaluated this situation as a 'threat' and invited the police to the university to conduct an operation,' CHP Provincial Chairperson Umit Erkol said on social media. Aylin Yaman, a CHP member of parliament, said students were sitting on the grass and singing when police stormed the area at 2 am. 'We object to the police entering here as if it were a dawn operation and creating an atmosphere of fear,' she said. The Istanbul Bar Association announced that three lawyers had been among some 100 people arrested at a Thursday demonstration in the city's Sisli district. Lawyers also said they had been kept waiting for hours outside police headquarters to gain access to detainees. Following the overnight arrest of Imamoglu's lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, it was revealed Friday that he is accused of money-laundering. Imamoglu, in a social media post, said Pehlivan had been 'detained on fictitious grounds.' He was later released on condition of judicial control. 'We are concerned' - Rubio Turkey's Nobel-winning author Orhan Pamuk, writing in several European newspapers, said events over the past 10 days represented 'Erdogan's strong-fisted, autocratic rule (at) a level we have not seen before.' Following a meeting with Turkey's foreign minister earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described events in Turkey as 'disturbing.' Speaking on a return flight from Suriname late Thursday, he said: 'We are concerned, we don't like to see the direction that's going... Anytime you have instability on the ground you don't like to see it.' A group of European politicians arrived in Istanbul to show support to Imamoglu and meet opposition figures. Led by former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, the delegation from the Party of European Socialists also included European Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley. 'This is not just about one person. This is about democracy, and we are here to stand up for democratic values,' Lofven said. 'These politically motivated accusations are a threat to democracy in Turkey.' In a TV interview Friday, the co-leader of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party appeared to offer qualified support for the protests. 'We are not the CHP's activist group. We support them but we will not take to the streets for this,' Tuncer Bakirhan said. Commentators have suggested that the recent peace initiative offered to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, is a bid by Erdogan to lure the DEM Party, which is the third-largest in parliament, into supporting an extension of his presidency beyond his current term. Imamoglu faces charges stemming from two investigations into the opposition-controlled Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality – a corruption case and one alleging support for terrorism. The mayor has been confirmed as the CHP's presidential candidate in an election currently scheduled for 2028 but which is likely to take place earlier. He has performed well in recent polls against Erdogan, and his election as mayor of Turkey's largest city in 2019 was a major blow to the president. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More journalists detained by Turkey after covering anti-government protests
Two journalists were detained in dawn raids in Istanbul early on Friday as part of a crackdown on media workers covering Turkey's largest protests for more than a decade, their outlets reported. Elif Bayburt, who works for the Etkin News Agency, and Nisa Suda Demirel, from the Evrensel news website, were the latest to be arrested in early morning sweeps that have targeted political activists and trade unionists as well as journalists. 'Our reporter, Nisa Sude Demirel, was detained by the police who came to her house at around 6am this morning,' Evrensel said in a statement. 'Demirel, who was following the (Istanbul City Hall) protests and the boycotts at the universities, was taken to the Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Branch office.' The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul's opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges many see as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free from political interference. Reporters Without Borders condemned the reporters' arrests. 'There is no end to the detentions of journalists,' its Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu said. The Turkish Journalists' Union called for the news media to be allowed to do its work and an 'end to these unlawful detentions'. Earlier this week, 11 journalists were detained in morning raids. Although initially jailed pending trial, they were freed on Thursday but still face charges of 'taking part in illegal rallies and marches'. Turkey's broadcasting authority issued a 10-day airwave ban on Sozcu TV on Thursday, as well as fines and programme suspensions to other opposition channels. BBC News correspondent Mark Lowen was deported from Turkey on Thursday after being detained for around 17 hours. Courts across Turkey are dealing with a spike in cases as a result of the protests. Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said nearly 1,900 people had been arrested since March 19. Anxious families have been gathering outside court buildings to await the fate of their loved ones, who police can hold for four days. 'The youth we call Generation Z are more likely to participate in these protests. They sense that something is wrong,' Savas Ozbek, whose daughter was detained on Sunday, told ANKA News Agency outside Ankara Courthouse late on Thursday. Zeynep Ulger, who was waiting for news of her friend, said they were protesting for a 'free, democratic country', adding: 'The only thing we have achieved in the face of this is being beaten by the police on the streets and being detained.' Istanbul-based lawyer Arif Anil Ozturk, who represents many detained protesters, said: 'It is an unlawful process from beginning to end. 'There is no evidence, no footage. Children … are being treated like terrorists.' Nightly Istanbul rallies organised by Mr Imamoglu's Republican People's Party, or CHP, ended on Tuesday. In other cities, and in Istanbul since the end of the CHP gatherings, largely peaceful protests have been more organic. Police, however, have used tear gas, water cannon and plastic pellets to suppress demonstrations that have been banned in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. At the Middle East Technical University campus on the outskirts of the capital Ankara, nine students were detained early on Friday, opposition politicians who visited the site said. 'Young people have set up tents inside (the campus). Officious administrators have evaluated this situation as a 'threat' and invited the police to the university to conduct an operation,' CHP provincial chairperson Umit Erkol said on social media. Aylin Yaman, a CHP MP, said students were sitting on the grass and singing when police stormed the area at 2am. 'We object to the police entering here as if it were a dawn operation and creating an atmosphere of fear,' she said. The Istanbul Bar Association announced that three lawyers had been among some 100 people arrested at a Thursday demonstration in the city's Sisli district. Lawyers also said they had been kept waiting for hours outside police headquarters to gain access to detainees. Following the overnight arrest of Mr Imamoglu's lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, it was revealed on Friday that he is accused of money-laundering. Mr Imamoglu, in a social media post, said Mr Pehlivan had been 'detained on fictitious grounds'. Turkey's Nobel-winning author Orhan Pamuk, writing in several European newspapers, said events over the past 10 days represented 'Erdogan's strong-fisted, autocratic rule (at) a level we have not seen before'. Following a meeting with Turkey's foreign minister earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described events in Turkey as 'disturbing'. Speaking on a return flight from Suriname late on Thursday, he said: 'We are concerned, we don't like to see the direction that's going … Any time you have instability on the ground you don't like to see it.' Mr Imamoglu faces charges stemming from two investigations into the opposition-controlled Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality – a corruption case and one alleging support for terrorism. The mayor has been confirmed as the CHP's presidential candidate in an election currently scheduled for 2028 but which is likely to take place earlier. He has performed well in recent polls against Mr Erdogan, and his election as mayor of Turkey's largest city in 2019 was a major blow to the president.
