Istanbul: The mayors of several major cities in Turkiye governed by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have once again been arrested.
The arrested mayors of Antalya, Adana and Adiyaman are facing corruption allegations, the state broadcaster TRT reported on Saturday.
In Adana, people gathered to protest the arrests and chanted for the resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. The arrests are part of a series of measures targeting CHP politicians.
Turkey’s largest opposition party has been under increasing pressure for months. Many observers interpret the actions as a targeted campaign by the government against the party, which emerged as the strongest force in the last nationwide local elections, once again presenting itself as a serious political competitor to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), particularly at the municipal level.
In March, the arrest and removal of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, triggered nationwide protests. Imamoglu is considered a potential challenger to President Erdogan.
His arrest was followed by further waves of arrests targeting the CHP. On Tuesday, the former CHP mayor of the Izmir metropolitan area was arrested, along with dozens of others.
Erdogan has repeatedly announced further actions against the CHP. He justifies this with alleged illegal activities and recently called the party a “tool of municipal looters.” (DPA)
