6 hours agoTurkish authorities arrest Istanbul mayor, 40 other officials
Periskopi(10 months ago)
(10 months ago)Turkish authorities have arrested the mayor of an important Istanbul municipality Friday, along with about 40 other officials, extending the anti-op opposition campaign in the country. Inan Guney, mayor of Beyoglu in Istanbul, was taken into custody as part of a corruption investigation, the state agency reported....
Inan Guney, mayor of Beyoglu in Istanbul, was sent to custody as part of a corruption investigation, the state news agency Anadolu reported.
According to the newspaper Birgun and other Turkish media, among those arrested are Guney's bodyguards, his adviser and other aides.
The Beyoglu municipality is led by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Together under CHP control have faced wave of arrests this year, starting with the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March, reports REL, broadcast Periscope .
Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure, is widely seen as the main challenger to President Recep Tayip Erdogan's dual rule and is the CHP's candidate for 2028 presidential elections.
Critics say legal actions are politically motivated and aim to undermine CHP's growing influence.
Erdogan's government insists that courts function independently and without political interference.
Istanbul and several other major cities moved under CHP leadership in 2019, as the opposition further expanded its control in last year's local elections.
Imamoglu's arrest led to the biggest protests in Turkey for more than a decade. /Periscope
