A Turkish court has jailed 18 Istanbul municipal employees, who are now awaiting trial on corruption charges, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
The announcement comes amid a broader crackdown on the opposition in Turkey and follows the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Imamoglu, the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was jailed in March and is awaiting trial on corruption and terrorism-related charges. He has denied all accusations.
His arrest sparked the largest protests in Turkey in the last decade, alongside accusations of a politicized judiciary.
Background and Expanding Crackdown
Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that 34 of the 52 people detained over the weekend were released on parole.
Local media also reported that dozens of municipal staff were detained Saturday as part of a judicial probe centered around Imamoglu, marking an escalation of the government’s campaign against the opposition that began last year.
Among those arrested are the Secretary-General of the Municipality, Imamoglu’s Chief of Staff, the Chair and Deputy Chair of Istanbul Waterworks, and the Head of the department.
The Turkish government denies the accusations of political repression and maintains that the judiciary is independent.
