The Turkish Government Detained the Mayor of Istanbul During an Investigation

• The mayor of Beyoğlu and 40 other individuals have been detained in a corruption case.
• The opposition party CHP considers the detentions to be politically motivated.
• In total, over 500 individuals have been detained in the past year, including the mayor of Istanbul.

On September 15, 2025, Ankara, Turkey — The Turkish police detained the mayor of central Istanbul, Beyoğlu İnan Güney, along with nearly 40 individuals as part of an investigation into corruption. This was part of a broader crackdown on the opposition, reported the state agency Anadolu.

Güney, who represents the main opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP), is the 16th mayor to be detained in this context. Over the past year, more than 500 individuals have been detained, among them the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is considered a key political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

İmamoğlu is currently under investigation for allegations related to corruption and links to terrorism. CHP denies these allegations, asserting that this is an attempt to undermine the democratic alternative that the government fears.

The latest detentions occurred against the backdrop of events that began after the 2019 elections, when CHP gained control of Istanbul and other major cities. Not long ago, the CHP mayor from the city of Aydın, Özlem Çerçioğlu, switched to the ruling party AKP, highlighting the division with the CHP administration.

Tags: Middle East/Politics