Turkish authorities have arrested 30 individuals on corruption charges, including a former lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the mayors of three Istanbul districts governed by the CHP, state news agency Anadolu reported Sunday.
The arrests are part of four separate corruption investigations allegedly linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, marking the fifth wave of legal actions targeting the city’s administration since March 19, when Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested on similar charges.
İmamoğlu, viewed as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s most formidable political rival, has been a central figure in the growing tensions between the government and the opposition. His arrest sparked widespread protests, with demonstrators calling for his release and demanding greater democratic freedoms in Turkey, according to Reuters.
The CHP and its supporters have strongly condemned the arrests, accusing the Erdoğan-led government of using the judiciary for political repression.
“This time, the coup did not come with boots and tanks, but with prosecutors’ uniforms,” said CHP leader Özgür Özel, addressing a rally of supporters in the northwestern city of Düzce.
The incident is likely to intensify political unrest ahead of upcoming elections and deepen concerns over the state of democracy and judicial independence in Turkey.
