Istanbul district mayor, 43 others detained in corruption probe

Turkish authorities on Saturday detained the mayor of an Istanbul district, along with 43 other officials, over allegations of corruption, as part of a widening investigation into Republican People’s Party-run (CHP) municipalities.

The Anadolu Agency (AA) said the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office ordered the detentions of 47 people in total in connection with an investigation into alleged extortion, bribery, fraud and bid rigging by the Istanbul’s Bayrampaşa municipality.

More than a dozen mayors from the CHP and hundreds of municipal officials have been arrested in recent months for alleged corruption, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.

The CHP claims the arrests and allegations are politically motivated. The government denies the claims and says Türkiye’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.

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