Three Southern Turkish Mayors Arrested in Ongoing Opposition Crackdown

Three mayors from major cities in southern Turkey were arrested on Saturday as part of a widening crackdown on opposition figures, state-run media reported. Abdurrahman Tutdere of Adiyaman and Zeydan Karalar of Adana, both members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), were detained in early morning raids. Muhittin Bocek, the CHP mayor of Antalya, was arrested in a separate bribery investigation. This follows the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March, sparking large protests. The CHP has faced numerous arrests this year, which critics argue aim to neutralize the opposition. The government maintains that prosecutors and the judiciary act independently. Ten people, including Karalar and Tutdere, were arrested in an investigation into organized crime, bribery, and bid-rigging. The CHP mayor of Ankara questioned why municipalities controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party were not similarly scrutinized. The arrests come amid significant gains by the CHP in recent local elections.

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