More than 40 arrests in new raids in Istanbul

According to party members and local media, this once again included a district mayor from the CHP, the largest opposition party in the country. The daily newspaper "Cumhuriyet" reported that the 44 detainees included the district mayor of Beyoglu, Inan Güney, an advisor to the imprisoned Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, as well as municipal employees. The suspects are accused of bribery, fraud and illegally obtaining personal data, among other things.

The CHP condemned the arrests as a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent. "This is not a law, but a political operation ordered by the government," wrote CHP MP Burhanettin Bulut on the X platform.

Imamoglu, a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested and removed from office in March. This triggered nationwide protests. The CHP is still organizing rallies today. Since Erdogan lost control of the metropolis of Istanbul in the 2019 elections, Imamoglu has faced several investigations and court proceedings.