Turkey Detains Dozens Opposition Officials Istanbul Corruption Crackdown

Turkish authorities have intensified a legal crackdown on opposition figures in Istanbul following the March arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Detention warrants were issued for 47 officials, including several district mayors and a former opposition lawmaker, as part of four separate corruption investigations, leading to at least 28 arrests. Police conducted raids on multiple opposition-run municipalities, including in Istanbul and Adana provinces, and heightened security measures were observed at targeted municipal buildings. The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) condemned the crackdown as politically motivated and anti-democratic, with Western countries and rights groups echoing concerns about judicial independence and electoral suppression. Imamoglu and the CHP deny all corruption and terrorism charges, asserting a lack of concrete evidence. The crackdown has sparked mass protests, economic instability, and calls for emergency meetings within the opposition to respond to the ongoing government actions.