Overview

• Security forces have arrested sixteen CHP mayors and detained hundreds of their municipal employees nationwide on corruption allegations this week.
• The Radio and Television Supreme Council imposed a ten-day blackout on Sözcü TV and has warned of similar sanctions for Halk TV to curb dissenting coverage.
• Authorities took Özgür Kabadayı, mayor of Istanbul’s Şile district, and five associates into custody on charges including bribery and bid manipulation.
• New legal probes have been opened against senior CHP figures such as parliamentary leader Özgür Özel, prompting accusations of politically driven persecution.
• Observers warn that using the judiciary and media regulators to target the main opposition mirrors authoritarian tactics and threatens fair competition before national elections.