Turkish Prosecutors Detain Istanbul Mayor, 47 Officials in Corruption Probe

Turkish authorities have detained Hasan Mutlu, the mayor of Istanbul's Bayrampaşa district, along with 47 other officials as part of a corruption investigation targeting the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The arrests come amid a nearly year-long crackdown on CHP-run municipalities, with allegations including bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and bid rigging. Mutlu denied the charges, calling the investigation a politically motivated operation based on baseless slander. This wave of detentions follows the earlier arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is currently facing trial on separate charges. The crackdown is viewed by the CHP as an attempt by the government to weaken the opposition ahead of upcoming elections, while the government maintains that the judiciary is independent. A key court ruling expected soon could destabilize the CHP’s leadership, further impacting the party’s position in Turkey’s political landscape.