Turkey ousts five opposition mayors, probes CHP leader

Turkey has removed five mayors affiliated with the country’s main opposition party from office after they were arrested on corruption charges, which the opposition says are politically motivated.

In a statement on Thursday, the Turkish interior ministry announced that the Republican People’s Party (CHP) district mayors of Avcilar, Buyukcekmece, and Gaziosmanpasa in Istanbul, as well as the mayors of Seyhan and Ceyhan in Adana, were dismissed during the course of the investigation.

This recent wave of police operations follows high-profile investigations targeting Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in March on similar charges of financial crimes, including extortion and operating a criminal network.

Imamoglu’s formal arrest triggered month-long mass protests across Turkey, pushing Turkish markets to the brink. Imamoglu denies the allegations, claiming that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government orchestrated this “politically motivated” investigation to block his potential presidential candidacy in the 2028 elections.

Last year, the opposition handed Erdogan's Justice and Development Party its first defeat in local elections in over two decades. The CHP leader, who won the mayoral election a year ago with 51 percent of the vote, is widely seen as Erdogan’s main political rival. 

Tensions continue to run high between the government and the opposition.

On Wednesday, state broadcaster TRT reported that prosecutors had opened an investigation into CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel for allegedly insulting Istanbul’s chief prosecutor, Akin Gurlek, at a rally in the city.

Gurlek, a former deputy justice minister, has faced accusations from opposition figures of pursuing cases targeting Erdogan’s political opponents since taking up his post last year.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc condemned Ozel’s remarks in a post on X, calling any threats against the judiciary “unacceptable”.

The Istanbul Governor’s Office announced that, following the suspension of the mayors of Avcilar, Buyukcekmece, and Gaziosmanpasa, the respective municipal councils will convene on 11 June to elect acting (deputy) mayors.

With the suspension of these five mayors, the total number of CHP mayors removed from office has now risen to 11 as part of investigations into CHP municipalities. Dozens of other officials have been detained and are awaiting trial.