Erdogan's power game: 5 Mayor arrested - protests threaten!

Erdogan's power game: 5 Mayor arrested - protests threaten!

Istanbul, Türkei - In Turkey, five opposition mayors and 17 other people were arrested on June 4, 2025. These arrests are in direct connection with allegations of corruption that were raised against political opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Among those arrested is the prominent Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is considered the most important rival Erdogan. As reported Krone , Imamoglu was chosen as the presidential candidate of the opposition Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) after his arrest in March.

The arrests are part of an increasing initiative by the Turkish government to act against the opposition. The police have issued arrest warrants against a total of 47 people, mostly city administration employees. The focus of the investigation is particularly in Istanbul, where almost 70 people were arrested in raids in the town hall, including Imamoglus private secretary and security officer. This information confirms n-tv .

context of the arrests

The opposition and human rights organizations accuse the government of abusing the judiciary for political purposes. Imamoglu does not recognize the allegations raised against him and is considered a symbol of resistance to Erdogan's politics. His arrest in March had already triggered large protests across the country, and it remains unclear whether he can compete in the upcoming election in 2028 due to several ongoing processes. An important detail that Zeit is that the number of Mayor of the CHP has now increased to nine.

This recent procedure of the Turkish authorities is interpreted as a further attempt to eliminate the opposition to weaknesses and potential challenges for the regime in advance of future elections. The investigation and arrests are viewed as clearly politically motivated and throw a shadow on the upcoming elections in Turkey.