Turkey’s authorities detained 157 people in Izmir early on Tuesday, including opposition party members and a former mayor, broadcaster NTV reported, marking an expansion of the months-long crackdown on the opposition that had previously centred on Istanbul.
The Izmir prosecutor ordered the detentions in the early morning hours as part of an investigation into corruption, tender rigging and fraud in the west-coast city, NTV reported.
Murat Bakan, an Izmir MP from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) – which has faced waves of arrests since late last year – said former Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer was detained along with senior bureaucrats and a party provincial chairman.
“We woke up to another dawn operation today,” he said on X. “We are facing a process similar to what happened in Istanbul,” Bakan said, adding that it appeared to be “a judicial system acting on instructions”.
Those arrested in the broader crackdown include Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival.
Imamoglu was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. That sparked the largest street protests in a decade and a sharp selloff in Turkish assets.
The CHP denies the charges. It and some Western countries have called the crackdown a politicised move to eliminate electoral challenges to Erdogan and silence dissent.
The government denies these claims, saying the judiciary and Turkey’s courts are independent.
NTV said the investigation into the Izmir municipality, in part, looks at potential corruption involving subcontractor companies.
Protests Following Imamoglu’s Arrest
Turkey was rocked by widespread mass protests following the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as the most prominent political challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Demonstrations erupted across major cities, with thousands taking to the streets to denounce what they describe as a politically motivated crackdown on the opposition.
Imamoglu, who rose to national prominence after his surprise victory in the 2019 Istanbul mayoral elections, has been widely viewed as a potential contender capable of uniting opposition forces against Erdogan.
His conviction, stemming from charges critics say were designed to sideline him from politics, has only deepened political tensions in the country.
Protesters have accused the Erdogan-led government of eroding democratic institutions, using the judiciary to suppress dissent and eliminate political rivals.
Clashes between demonstrators and security forces were reported in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and other cities, with authorities deploying riot police and making numerous arrests.
The jailing of Imamoglu came amid growing economic challenges and rising public discontent in Turkey.
(With inputs from Reuters)
