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Turkey Expands Opposition Crackdown to Izmir With Over 150 Detained

Critics say the action aims to stifle dissent by targeting key CHP figures ahead of the next presidential election.

FILE - Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel delivers a speech during a CHP convention, in Ankara, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Unal, File)
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan looks on during a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw/File photo
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Overview

  • The Izmir public prosecutor issued 157 detention warrants on July 1 in a probe into alleged corruption, tender rigging and fraud within the city administration.
  • Authorities have arrested more than 150 CHP-affiliated officials, including former Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer and provincial leader Senol Aslanoglu.
  • The operation marks the first major spread of the judicial campaign against the opposition since Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest in March.
  • The government asserts that the judiciary acted independently while the CHP and several Western governments condemn the detentions as politically driven.
  • Analysts warn the sweeping legal measures form part of President Erdogan’s strategy to neutralize electoral challengers as Turkey’s economy remains under strain.