Turkish authorities have issued 47 arrest warrants for officials of Istanbul’s municipality and staff, whose mayor – the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – has been in prison since March, reported the state news agency Anadolu on May 31.
The arrest warrants are based on “four separate corruption investigations in Istanbul,” Anadolu reported, without specifying how many individuals have already been detained.
The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19 triggered the largest protests in Turkey in decades.
Turkish police have already arrested nearly 70 people in raids related to suspected corruption within the Istanbul Municipality. Among those detained are İmamoğlu’s private secretary and his personal bodyguard, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
According to Anadolu, the latest arrest warrants target a former opposition lawmaker and five district mayors of Istanbul.
Private television channel Halk, seen as close to İmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), reported that nine district mayors – out of a total of 39 – have been arrested and are being held in custody.
The CHP, which has nominated İmamoğlu as its presidential candidate for the 2028 elections, has yet to comment on the latest round of arrest warrants.
