In Turkey, arrests continue to target opposition mayors

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul Provincial Instagram account. Used with permission.

On January 13, 2025, Istanbul Besiktas Mayor Rıza Akpolat was detained in Balikesir province on the grounds of being involved in a corruption scandal related to public tenders. Akpolat is a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and is the second CHP mayor to face arrest recently. On October 30, 2024, Esenyurt Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer was arrested on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

As part of the investigation, 47 individuals were subject to arrest warrants. The allegations included bribery, tender rigging, and money laundering.  Police also detained the brother of the deputy minister of the interior, Ahmet Aktaş, as part of the investigation but released him later, sowing doubt over the transparency of the investigation and the alleged claims. The CHP refutes allegations, calling them unlawful and a political setup.

Following Akpolat’s arrest, his duties as a mayor were suspended  in what the ministry of the interior said was a “temporary measure.” Akpolat has been the Besiktas mayor since 2019 and was re-elected during local elections in March 2024.

On January 17, a protest took place outside the Besiktas municipality, where party supporters gathered to denounce the detention of the mayor and the ongoing targeted campaign against the CHP. 

Screenshot from the video “CHP'den ‘Beşiktaş Halk Buluşması’ #CANLI” on the Gazete Duvar YouTube channel. Fair use.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, and Özgür Çelik, the CHP Istanbul provincial chair, wrote on X the arrest was unlawful, expressing support for Akpolat and promising to continue monitoring the legal process. 

Speaking to the supporters gathered outside the municipality during a night vigil, Imamoğlu was quoted as saying, “The issue is not just Esenyurt or Besiktas. The issue is, of course, much larger. It is the approach of an authoritarian mindset, a way of walking a path influenced by an authoritarian perspective.”

Turkey experts agree. In an interview with Turkey Recap, Berk Esen, the associate professor of political science at Istanbul's Sabanci University, said the most recent detention was “clearly politically-charged” with “possible repercussions for İmamoğlu.” It was only a matter of time before Esen’s projections would hold true. On January 20, an investigation was launched against the Istanbul mayor for allegedly “threatening” Istanbul prosecutor Akın Gürlek and his family. The alleged threat relates to a comment İmamoğlu made during a panel on law and politicization of the judiciary in Turkey. 

The popular mayor is already facing a potential political ban as a result of another ongoing case against him for allegedly insulting public officials in a speech he made after he won Istanbul's municipal election in 2019. The higher appeals court must uphold the verdict, but until then, İmamoğlu remains Istanbul's mayor. He secured a victory in recent local elections, keeping his seat as the Istanbul mayor for another four-year term.

Akpolat’s arrest is the most recent example of the increasing pressure on the opposition from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), since the municipal elections of March 2024, in which the ruling party suffered significant losses. While the dominant target has often been the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM, formerly HDP, Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Party), Turkey’s third-largest political party, the recent arrests targeting CHP mayors indicate the ruling party is determined to clean up critics ahead of next round of general elections. It isn’t just arrests but also defamation lawsuits filed against the CHP officials. In November 2024, President Erdoğan filed a defamation lawsuit against CHP leader Özgür Özel and Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu seeking TRY 1 million (USD 28,000) in damages from each on the grounds that both have insulted the president.

Akpolat’s defense in court

In his defense, Akpolat said he was not aware of the tender processes and had delegated authority to his colleagues to manage those affairs. 

Legally, mayors do not have the signing authority in tender processes, a fact that was raised in the case against Akpolat. As such, it raises questions about the validity of the charges. The release of the deputy interior minister’s brother also raised questions and concerns about unequal treatment and political influence in the judiciary.

Meanwhile, police also arrested Mertcan Üreten, CHP’s municipal council member in Manisa’s Yunusemre district municipality, on January 21 and questioned Cem Aydın, the head of CHP’s youth branch, on January 20. Aydın has been barred from leaving the country.

In the midst of the ongoing political tension, the CHP has vowed to adopt a firmer stance, particularly targeting corruption within the AKP-run municipalities. Adding salt to the wound was a remark made by President Erdoğan on January 17 in which he said “the biggest of the radish is still in the sack,” meaning that more (revelations, actions) are yet to come. Özel interpreted the remark as a thinly veiled threat. 

Seasoned journalist Fatih Altayli explained on his YouTube channel that, under normal circumstances where there is separation of powers and an independent judiciary, these remarks would not even see the light of day. However, in a country where no such thing exists, this remark was completely unjust. If there is a case of corruption, then all parties involved, including AKP-run former and current municipalities, should be investigated, explained Altayli. 

Graft and corruption within the ranks of the ruling party and its municipalities have long been a subject of criticism by opposition politicians, civil society groups and international observers — especially when AKP’s rise to popularity was made on a platform of clean governance and anti-corruption. Yet over the 20 years since the ruling party has been in power, numerous allegations of misuse of public funds, nepotism and lack of transparency have marred the party’s reputation. None of the allegations that reached local courts were fully investigated. Journalists and media reporting on ongoing trials were met with court decisions to block access to the related stories.

Why now?

The  political spat is taking place at a time when the government is struggling to stabilize the economy and declining public support. In addition to arrests, intimidation, trustee appointments, and defamation suits, the ruling party has also been trying to shut down some of the social projects developed and run by the CHP-led municipalities. 

Among these projects are the social assistance programs which have provided aid to some 11.2 million citizens, low-cost municipal kitchens and free daycare centers. The CHP-led municipalities have also invested in transforming forlorn structures for public use, including turning a landfill in Luleburgaz into a green space and restoring multiple historical buildings as museums or public spaces. In November 2024, the ruling government attempted to shut down daycare centers, arguing that these centers should be operated by the ministry of education. 

According to one recent survey,  the CHP is gaining momentum against the AKP. The opposition had already called for an early presidential election in 2024. Some analysts reason it may happen before the end of 2025, while others say this scenario is unrealistic. Normally, the next round of presidential elections is scheduled for 2028. President Erdoğan has recently confirmed his interest in running again, even though that would require changing the constitution because the president’s current term should be his last as per the country’s constitution. Another option is an early election. 

Some Turkey experts predict a far gloomier scenario. According to director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute, Gönül Tol, “Down the line, it may look like Russia, where only the opponents who are approved by the regime will be running in elections. Down the line, we're looking at that.”

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