Latest news with #AKP-led
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
AKP accuses CHP leader of threatening democracy
Also in Turkey AKP lawmaker says Turkey-PKK peace process to conclude by end of 2025 Poll shows 65 percent support for Turkey-PKK peace Turkey detains three opposition mayors Hope for peace grows with new library in Turkey's Hakkari A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Saturday lashed out at Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), accusing his remarks of threatening democracy after three CHP mayors were detained on alleged corruption charges. 'His words have no value. Ozgur Ozel thinks elections are run with the same mentality as a CHP congress. Democracy and CHP congress mentality are not the same thing,' AKP spokesperson Omer Celik said, calling Ozel's remarks a 'threat to democracy.' Ozel on Saturday held a high-level CHP leadership meeting and threatened to call on citizens to take to the streets in large-scale demonstrations after three CHP mayors in southern Turkey were detained. 'You fear mass gatherings and demonstrations, so when I call people to the squares, you immediately take harsh security measures and ban them. Demonstrations are democracy. I know what day I will call people to the streets. Do not make me call people to the streets,' Ozel told reporters after the meeting. Turkish authorities on Saturday detained the mayors of the southern cities of Antalya and Adana, as well as the southeastern Kurdish city of Adiyaman (Semsur) – all CHP members – on charges of fixing tenders through bribing mayors and senior municipal executives. The arrests came as part of a wider investigation into alleged graft within CHP-led administrations, according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency. The practice of dismissing elected officials has been ongoing for years. Dozens of mainly Kurdish mayors have been removed from their posts since 2016 and sentenced on terrorism-related charges for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara has designated a terrorist organization. More recently, the AKP-led government has cracked down on CHP and other opposition mayors, detaining them largely on cases of alleged corruption. On Thursday, a raid sparked by an alleged corruption case at the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality - a key CHP bastion - resulted in the arrests of 60 people, including former Izmir mayor Tunc Soyer and the head of CHP's Izmir branch Senol Aslanoglu. In March, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was sacked from his position on charges of corruption. Considered the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming 2028 elections, his arrest sparked Turkey's worst unrest in a decade, which in turn led to a massive crackdown on protests. The dismissed mayors are replaced with state-appointed trustees.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey detains three opposition mayors
Also in Turkey Poll shows 65 percent support for Turkey-PKK peace Hope for peace grows with new library in Turkey's Hakkari New superstition emerges in Diyarbakir AKP lawmaker labels Kurdistan Region's role in PKK disarmament 'very important' A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish authorities on Saturday detained three mayors as part of an investigation into corruption, state media reported. All three are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The mayors of the southern cities of Antalya and Adana, as well as the southeastern Kurdish city of Adiyaman (Semsur) were arrested on charges of fixing tenders through bribing mayors and senior municipal executives, according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency. 'This morning, I was detained from my house in Ankara. I am being taken to Istanbul,' Adiyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere said on X. Zeydan Karalar, mayor of Adana, vowed to 'continue the struggle' after he was detained. The arrests are part of a wider investigation into alleged graft within CHP-led administrations, according to Anadolu. Ankara mayor and CHP strongman Mansur Yavas blasted the arrests as a targeted campaign against the party. 'In a system where the law is bent and twisted according to politics, where justice is applied for one segment and ignored for another, no one should expect us to trust the rule of law or believe in justice,' he said on X. 'We will not bow to injustice, unlawfulness, and political operations.' In Turkey's 2024 municipal elections, Karalar received 46.7 percent of the vote, Tutdere scored 49.7 percent, and Antalya's Muhittin Bocek took 71.4 percent. The practice of dismissing elected officials has been ongoing for years. Dozens of mainly Kurdish mayors have been removed from their posts since 2016 and sentenced on terrorism-related charges for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara has designated a terrorist organization. More recently, the AKP-led government has cracked down on CHP and other opposition mayors, detaining them largely on cases of alleged corruption. On Thursday, a raid sparked by an alleged corruption case at the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality - a key CHP bastion - resulted in the arrests of 60 people, including former Izmir mayor Tunc Soyer and the head of CHP's Izmir branch Senol Aslanoglu. In March, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was sacked from his position on charges of corruption. Considered the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming 2028 elections, his arrest sparked Turkey's worst unrest in a decade, which in turn led to a massive crackdown on protests. The dismissed mayors are replaced with state-appointed trustees.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Istanbul mayor appears in court amid concerns about crackdown on Turkish opposition
By Ali Kucukgocmen and Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and potential challenger to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court on Friday to deny charges that he had attempted to influence the judiciary. The case against Imamoglu is the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by opposition politicians in Turkey, where rights groups say judicial independence has eroded under Erdogan's two-decade rule. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "I did not engage in any actions targeting any individual. It is impossible for me to act in such a way. I do not accept the charges against me," Imamoglu told the court. The probe follows Imamoglu's criticism of legal cases brought against municipalities run by the opposition, including his own Republican People's Party (CHP). His testimony related to remarks he made about a chief prosecutor and a court expert. Hundreds of people rallied outside the Istanbul courthouse in support of Imamoglu, who was re-elected mayor of Turkey's largest city last year in a vote that saw Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) suffer its worst ever losses in municipal elections. After giving his testimony, Imamoglu told reporters outside the courthouse that the case against him was part of a broader campaign of judicial harassment targeting opposition figures, something the AKP-led government denies. Turkish authorities have removed a number of elected mayors from the CHP and pro-Kurdish parties in recent years. Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director at Human Rights Watch, said on Friday the practice of removing mayors and appointing government trustees was undermining democracy. "This is a major assault on the rights of voters to elect their chosen representatives and a violation of the right to free and fair elections," Sinclair-Webb told Reuters. "At a time when the government is talking about resolving the Kurdish conflict, it is dismaying and bewildering to see these crackdown measures continue against democratically elected officials. This practice flies in the face of any positive solution to the conflict," she added. The Turkish government has defended past removals of mayors, saying they were linked to terrorism-related investigations. Critics argue that such measures are politically motivated and designed to weaken opposition parties ahead of future elections. (Additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara, Editing by Gareth Jones)
Reuters
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Istanbul mayor appears in court amid concerns about crackdown on Turkish opposition
ISTANBUL, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and potential challenger to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court on Friday to deny charges that he had attempted to influence the judiciary. The case against Imamoglu is the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by opposition politicians in Turkey, where rights groups say judicial independence has eroded under Erdogan's two-decade rule. "I did not engage in any actions targeting any individual. It is impossible for me to act in such a way. I do not accept the charges against me," Imamoglu told the court. The probe follows Imamoglu's criticism of legal cases brought against municipalities run by the opposition, including his own Republican People's Party (CHP). His testimony related to remarks he made about a chief prosecutor and a court expert. Hundreds of people rallied outside the Istanbul courthouse in support of Imamoglu, who was re-elected mayor of Turkey's largest city last year in a vote that saw Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) suffer its worst ever losses in municipal elections. After giving his testimony, Imamoglu told reporters outside the courthouse that the case against him was part of a broader campaign of judicial harassment targeting opposition figures, something the AKP-led government denies. Turkish authorities have removed a number of elected mayors from the CHP and pro-Kurdish parties in recent years. Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director at Human Rights Watch, said on Friday the practice of removing mayors and appointing government trustees was undermining democracy. "This is a major assault on the rights of voters to elect their chosen representatives and a violation of the right to free and fair elections," Sinclair-Webb told Reuters. "At a time when the government is talking about resolving the Kurdish conflict, it is dismaying and bewildering to see these crackdown measures continue against democratically elected officials. This practice flies in the face of any positive solution to the conflict," she added. The Turkish government has defended past removals of mayors, saying they were linked to terrorism-related investigations. Critics argue that such measures are politically motivated and designed to weaken opposition parties ahead of future elections.
