Turkey's opposition under fire: Federal Government denounces fresh round of detentions as a threat to the legal system.
In a series of events that have sent shockwaves through Turkish politics and raised concerns globally, over 120 officials linked to the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Izmir, the country's third-largest city, were arrested on July 1, 2025. Among those detained were the former Izmir Mayor Tunç Soyer and CHP's provincial chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, in an operation targeting senior municipal officials.
The arrests were part of a corruption probe focused on alleged rigging of municipality tenders and fraud at Izmir City Hall. The Izmir Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for a total of 157 people in connection with this investigation. This comes after a similar crackdown in March 2025, when CHP Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu—President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival—was arrested on corruption charges in Istanbul.
The timing of the Izmir arrests was notably just hours before a planned major opposition rally in Istanbul marking 100 days since İmamoğlu's removal. Opposition figures, including CHP Vice President Murat Bakan, have denounced the wave of arrests as politically motivated rather than strictly legal procedures.
The German government has criticised these arrests, with a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Berlin calling for clarification and transparency of charges against those arrested, including Imamoglu. The criticism follows the arrest of 109 people, including members of opposition parties and a former mayor, in Izmir.
The judiciary in Turkey has been particularly targeting members of the CHP, with Imamoglu, a presidential candidate of the party, being arrested 100 days ago. The Izmir prosecutor's office accused those arrested, including Imamoglu, of corruption, bid rigging, and fraud.
These actions have strengthened concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. Critics argue these legal maneuvers undermine democratic norms by targeting opposition figures through judicial processes perceived as lacking independence. Public opinion polls indicate many Turkish citizens view the cases as politically driven, despite government assurances that courts remain impartial.
The arrest of Imamoglu, the Istanbul mayor, and the recent detentions in Izmir are part of a broader pattern targeting CHP officials under corruption investigations widely criticized as politically motivated. This situation challenges perceptions of judicial independence, weakening democratic institutions and raising alarm about the erosion of rule of law in Turkey.
The actions cast doubt on the independence of the Turkish judiciary and police forces, with opposition leader Özgür Özel calling for resistance against what they perceive as oppression and historically repeated tactics of political crackdown. As Turkey gears up for the next national election slated for 2028, fears are growing that such actions erode political pluralism and the rule of law in the country.
- The community policy on addressing political crackdowns should be reviewed in light of the recurring arrests of opposition leaders in Turkey, such as those targeted in Izmir and Istanbul.
- There is a need for a comprehensive employment policy within the government and law enforcement agencies to prevent politically motivated investigations, as seen in the recent corruption probes targeting CHP officials.
- In the face of growing concerns about the rule of law and democracy, policy-and-legislation initiatives should be introduced to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and ensure fair trials, following the example of the German government's call for transparency and clarification in the ongoing corruption investigations in Turkey.
