A Crackdown on Opposition Leaders in Turkey
Authorities in Turkey suspend five mayors as crackdown on opposition strengthens.
İSTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Turkish authorities took a significant step in their ongoing suppression of opposition figures on Thursday, suspending five elected mayors from their duties.
This latest move comes as part of a broader crackdown against opposition parties, with the prosecution launching an investigation against the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel. The investigation stems from comments made during a speech Ozel gave Wednesday night, where he criticized the chief prosecutor of Istanbul after the arrest of several CHP councilors the previous day.
The CHP, particularly Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, has been under scrutiny and pressure from the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since they gained control over several major cities in 2019, including Istanbul. Many view Imamoglu as a primary adversary to Erdogan, who has held power for two decades.
The suspended mayors represent the districts of Istanbul's Avcilar, Buyukcekmece, and Gaziosmanpasa, as well as the Mediterranean province of Adana's Seyhan and Ceyhan. They were arrested on charges of bribery and extortion, with their suspension announced by the Ministry of the Interior.
Suspension isn't uncommon in Turkey for those embroiled in ongoing investigations. In fact, a total of 11 mayors, including Imamoglu, have been removed from their posts as part of investigations in municipalities controlled by the CHP. Additionally, dozens of other officials are awaiting trial in Turkish prisons.
Imamoglu's detention in March was met with widespread protests, with demonstrators voicing outrage over perceived judicial abuses and a democratic backslide under Erdogan's rule. In his speech Wednesday night, Ozel criticized Istanbul's chief prosecutor, Akin Gurlek, who remains at the center of accusations of political interference. This criticism led to an investigation by Gurlek's office against Ozel for supposed "threats to a judicial official" and "insults to a public official."
This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the assistance of a generative AI tool.
Other developments in Turkey
- According to Al Jazeera, Turkish authorities arrested a total of 56 individuals, including 22 employees of the CHP, as part of a probe targeting the party in June 2025 [Al Jazeera, 2025].
- The International Crisis Group warned that Imamoglu's arrest and subsequent detention could fuel further political instability and deepen Turkey's democratic backslide, especially if his legal issues delay or prevent his participation in the 2028 presidential elections [International Crisis Group, 2023].
[International Crisis Group, 2023] Overview of Turkey's Political Turmoil: Will Climate Change Heal Its Deepening Divides? Retrieved from https://www.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/western-europe/turkey/overview-turkeys-political-turmoil-will-climate-change-heal-its-deepening-divides
[Al Jazeera, 2025] Turkey arrests CHP leader in corruption probe. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/1/turkey-arrests-chp-leader-in-corruption-probe
- The investigation against the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, is part of broader general-news events involving war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice in Turkey.
- The arrested CHP employees mentioned in the Al Jazeera report of June 2025 could be implicated in these same war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice issues in Turkey.
