ISTANBUL: The Turkish government is tightening its grip on the opposition, with fresh arrests on Friday targeting elected officials from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) as it faces a deepening leadership crisis.
Authorities carried out operations targeting CHP-run municipalities in Istanbul’s islands district and in southern Turkiye over a range of allegations, including corruption and fraud.
Police conducted simultaneous raids in four cities, detaining 37 of 47 suspects named in arrest warrants, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Among those detained was Adalar (islands) mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat.
The suspects are accused of bribery, embezzlement, forgery of official documents, forming and leading a criminal organization, and abuse of office, according to the statement.
