Turkey Detains 500 Opposition in Widening Corruption Probe
Turkey Detains 500 Opposition in Widening Corruption Probe

Turkey Detains 500 Opposition in Widening Corruption Probe

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has overseen an unprecedented crackdown targeting the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), with more than 500 members and officials detained over the past nine months. The government claims the investigation aims to dismantle a corrupt network described as an 'octopus' with reach across Turkey and abroad, but critics argue the probe selectively targets CHP-run municipalities as a political weapon. Notably, 14 elected CHP mayors, including Istanbul Mayor and Erdogan's key rival Ekrem Imamoglu, have been jailed pending trial on corruption charges they deny, with lawyers and party officials describing the arrests as lacking legal foundation. The crackdown has intensified since October 2024, spreading from Istanbul to other CHP-controlled cities such as Izmir, Adana, and Antalya, and has provoked street protests and political tensions. Former AKP minister Ertugrul Gunay called the campaign a tool for political attrition reflecting Erdogan's fears about future elections, while CHP leaders decry it as an attempt to eliminate democratic opposition. Despite the scale and political implications, Western allies have issued only muted criticism amid Turkey's growing regional influence.

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