Turkish authorities detained 47 more members of the Istanbul municipality on Saturday, escalating the legal crackdown targeting opposition figures and the city’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
The detentions are part of a broader investigation into corruption allegations.
Imamoglu, a leading political rival to President Tayyip Erdogan, was jailed in March pending trial on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group—allegations he has vehemently denied. His arrest sparked widespread protests, economic instability, and accusations of a politicized judiciary.
Among those detained on Saturday were the municipality’s secretary general, Imamoglu’s chief of staff, as well as the chairman and deputy chairman of the municipal water and sewerage administration (ISKI), and a department head at ISKI. NTV reported that authorities also arrested the wife of Imamoglu’s aide, Murat Ongun, and several other senior officials tied to the municipality.
The arrests have raised the total number of detainees linked to Imamoglu’s case to at least 150, although the exact figure remains unclear. Imamoglu, dismissing the charges and accusations as politically motivated, criticized the detentions, saying they were fabricated to eliminate electoral challenges to Erdogan.
“What happened? Were you unable to fill up your empty file?” Imamoglu said in a post on X, referring to the ongoing legal proceedings. He vowed to defend all detained colleagues, insisting that the charges were based on lies and slander.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP), Imamoglu’s political base, has accused the judiciary of being under Erdogan’s control, claiming that the arrests of CHP mayors are part of a broader effort to undermine opposition ahead of future national elections.
