Turkey Cracks Down on Dozens of Opposition Figures

On Saturday, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office ordered the arrest of 36 people as part of a wide-ranging investigation into alleged bribery and manipulation of public tenders. Among the suspects is a prominent mayor of Ankara's Cankaya district, who is a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

According to an official statement from the prosecutor's office, police have so far managed to detain 27 suspects, while security forces are continuing an intensive search for the remaining nine accused individuals.

Huseyin Can Güner, the mayor of the affected district, said in a post on social media platform X that he is aware of the investigation. He informed the authorities of his whereabouts and even provided the police with a spare key to his home so they could conduct a search while he is on his way to Ankara.

Güner strongly denied any wrongdoing and declared that he is leading the institution in the best possible way and has not betrayed the trust of voters.

This police operation follows a series of investigations into local governments led nationwide by the opposition CHP party.

The current Turkish government claims that the domestic judiciary acts completely independently and impartially. However, CHP officials view these actions by state authorities as politically motivated, aimed at discrediting the opposition in the eyes of the public.

(Reuters, Max)