Mayors Detained in Türkiye as Part of Fraud Investigation

Local officials affiliated with Türkiye’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have been detained as part of a broadening investigation into alleged fraud in municipalities, Orda.kzreports, citing Euronews.

The operation followed earlier probes in Izmir and Manavgat, and has now expanded to include the cities of Antalya, Adana, and Adıyaman.

On the morning of July 6, Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adiyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were detained. Tutdere confirmed the news on his X (formerly Twitter) account:

Shortly after, CHP Deputy Chair Burhanettin Bulut stated that Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek had also been detained.

Writing on X, Bulut condemned the arrests:

Those who use the judicial system as a weapon for political revenge do not care about the law, but about protecting their own power. We will never submit to this dirty system that attacks the will of the people. 

The arrests were carried out by order of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office as part of an investigation into alleged fraud within municipalities governed by the CHP.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 10 individuals, including the three mayors.

The detentions come just months after nationwide protests erupted in response to the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent CHP figure and potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 elections.

Original Author: Natalia Ovchinnikova