The latest wave of arrests over “corruption” allegations is part of a months-long crackdown targeting the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, considered the biggest political rival to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March and subsequently imprisoned.

His arrest sparked unprecedented protests in the country not seen in more than a decade.

In addition to Imamoglu, nine of Istanbul’s 26 CHP district mayors have been arrested and imprisoned since October, most of them on corruption charges, accusations they deny.

According to analysts, the government is attempting to undermine the CHP, which emerged as the clear winner in local elections in the spring of 2024 at the expense of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party.