The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said police carried out coordinated operations in four cities, detaining 37 of 47 suspects named in arrest warrants issued as part of investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct in local administrations.

Among those detained was Adalar Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The suspects face allegations including bribery, embezzlement, forgery of official documents, abuse of office and establishing or leading a criminal organization. Authorities have not announced when formal charges may be filed.

In a separate investigation, security forces conducted operations in the municipality of Silifke in the southern province of Mersin. Turkish media reported that several individuals, including the mayor, were taken into custody over allegations involving bribery, embezzlement, bid-rigging and abuse of office.

The latest detentions follow a series of similar operations targeting CHP-run municipalities in recent days, including local administrations in Istanbul’s Beylikduzu and Silivri districts as well as Seferihisar in the western province of Izmir.

The CHP has strongly rejected the investigations, arguing that the operations are politically motivated and designed to weaken the opposition after the party’s strong performance in the 2024 local elections, when it defeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in several key municipalities.

The arrests come as the CHP grapples with an internal leadership crisis triggered by a court ruling in Ankara last month that annulled the party’s 2023 leadership election over allegations of vote-buying.

The ruling reinstated former party chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu and intensified divisions within the opposition movement.

Senior CHP figure Ozgur Ozel, who lost his position as party leader following the court decision, has called for an extraordinary party congress, arguing that the CHP cannot function effectively under what he describes as an imposed leadership structure.

The court ruling sparked demonstrations by CHP supporters and heightened political tensions nationwide. Police also entered the party’s headquarters following the decision, an action that drew criticism from opposition figures.

The latest investigations are likely to deepen scrutiny of relations between the government and opposition parties at a time when the CHP has gained momentum in opinion polls and remains one of the most significant political challengers to Erdogan’s administration.

More than 800 party delegates submitted petitions calling for a special congress to elect a new leader, according to a party source, surpassing the threshold required under CHP bylaws to convene a gathering within 45 days.

The move follows a controversial ruling by an Ankara court in May that annulled the CHP’s 2023 leadership election over allegations of vote-buying and restored Kilicdaroglu to the party leadership.

The decision triggered strong opposition within the CHP and intensified tensions between rival factions of the party. Critics argued that the court ruling interfered with the internal affairs of Turkiye’s largest opposition movement at a time when it has been gaining political momentum.

Ozgur Ozel, who emerged as a prominent critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his tenure as party leader, has repeatedly rejected Kilicdaroglu’s reinstatement and called for a fresh vote, arguing that the party cannot be governed by what he describes as an imposed leadership.

Political analysts expect a fierce internal contest in the coming weeks. While Ozel’s supporters have succeeded in forcing the issue onto the party agenda, observers say Kilicdaroglu is likely to resist efforts to organize a rapid leadership vote and could seek procedural or legal avenues to delay the congress.

The dispute has further deepened divisions within a party already grappling with years of internal debate over strategy, leadership and electoral performance.

The CHP, founded by the republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has recently strengthened its position against Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), particularly after securing significant victories in the 2024 local elections.

Opposition figures have accused authorities of pursuing politically motivated actions against the CHP in an effort to weaken its growing electoral appeal. Those accusations intensified following the court decision and subsequent police operations at party headquarters.

Kilicdaroglu led the CHP for more than a decade before being voted out at the party congress in 2023. His departure followed a closely contested presidential election in which he lost to Erdogan, prompting widespread calls within the party for leadership renewal.

The outcome of the proposed extraordinary congress is likely to shape the future direction of the CHP and could influence the broader balance of power in Turkish politics as opposition parties seek to challenge Erdogan’s long-standing dominance.

With rival camps now preparing for a potentially decisive confrontation, the CHP faces one of the most consequential internal battles in its recent history.

The operation followed a decision by an appeals court on Thursday that annulled the results of the CHP’s 2023 party congress and removed party leader Ozgur Ozel from office, citing irregularities in the internal election process.

The court reinstated former CHP chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who led the opposition against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election but was defeated at the polls.

A Reuters witness said riot police used tear gas and forced entry into the CHP headquarters as supporters and party officials attempted to resist efforts to implement the court order. Images from the scene showed party supporters gathering outside the building in central Ankara while security forces secured the area.

The confrontation marked the latest development in a growing dispute over the leadership of the CHP, Turkey’s largest opposition party and the principal challenger to Erdogan’s ruling political bloc.

Ozel rejected the court ruling and described it as a “judicial coup,” arguing that the judiciary was interfering in the internal affairs of the opposition. He vowed to challenge the decision through legal channels and pledged to remain at party headquarters while pursuing appeals.

On Saturday, Ozel called for a new party congress to be convened as quickly as possible in an effort to resolve the leadership dispute through another internal vote.

Kilicdaroglu, meanwhile, said a congress would be organized at what he described as an appropriate time, signaling a different approach to managing the transition following the court decision.

Despite the ruling removing him as party chairman, CHP lawmakers on Saturday elected Ozel as leader of the party’s parliamentary group, underscoring continued support for him among many elected party representatives.
The leadership battle comes at a sensitive moment for Turkish politics, with the CHP seeking to maintain unity after years of internal debate over strategy and leadership following Erdogan’s victory in the 2023 presidential contest.
The court decision and subsequent police operation are likely to deepen tensions between the opposition and the government, with CHP officials continuing to argue that judicial institutions are being used to influence political outcomes, an accusation authorities reject.