Three Turkish Opposition Mayors Arrested in Widening Corruption Probe

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues a stringent crackdown on the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), exemplified by the recent arrests of three prominent mayors: Abdurrahman Tutdere of Adiyaman, Zeydan Karalar of Adana, and Muhittin Böcek of Antalya. These detentions are part of an expanding corruption and organized crime investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, with allegations including bribery, bid-rigging, and extortion. Notably, Karalar and Tutdere were taken into custody in separate early morning raids and transferred to Istanbul, while Böcek was arrested in connection with a separate bribery probe by the Antalya prosecutor's office. The investigation also targets municipal employees, businesspeople, and lawyers allegedly involved in maintaining the alleged criminal network. These arrests follow the earlier imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as Erdoğan's main political rival, and have sparked widespread concerns over the political motivations behind the judicial actions and the erosion of judicial independence in Turkey. The intensifying crackdown occurs amid CHP's significant electoral gains, heightening political tensions and public unrest.