Istanbul district mayor and 47 officials detained over corruption allegations in widening crackdown

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities on Saturday detained the mayor of an Istanbul district, along with 47 other officials, over allegations of corruption, as part of a widening crackdown on the country’s main opposition party.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office ordered the detentions in connection with an investigation into alleged extortion, bribery, fraud and bid rigging by the Istanbul’s Bayrampasa municipality.

Bayrampasa’s mayor, Hasan Mutlu, denied the allegations in a statement on X.

“What is happening consists of political operations and baseless slander. Be assured that, together with you, the valued residents of Bayrampasa, we will overcome these slanders and these acts of dishonesty,” Mutlu said.

More than a dozen mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and hundreds of municipal officials have been arrested in recent months for alleged corruption, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The arrest of Imamoglu, viewed as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s main challenger in the next presidential elections, led to widespread protests.

The CHP says the arrests and allegations are part of a government offensive to weaken the opposition and clear the way for another five years in office for Erdogan. The government denies the claims and says Turkey’s courts are independent.

In a key case due to be heard Monday, a court is expected to rule on whether to annul the CHP’s 2023 Congress, a decision that could change the party’s leadership and leave the party in disarray.

The CHP made significant gains in local elections held last year.