Turkey: Authorities issue arrest warrants for 47 of Erdogan rival Imamoglu's aides

Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants for 47 municipal officials and staff across Istanbul, the latest escalation targeting city administration since the imprisonment of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

State news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday (May 31) that the warrants stemmed from four separate corruption investigations focused on Istanbul. Anadolu did not disclose how many individuals were actually taken into custody.

According to Anadolu Agency, among those targeted by the new warrants are a former opposition lawmaker and five district mayors within Istanbul.

Nine district mayors arrested

Private broadcaster Halk TV, perceived to be aligned with the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Imamoglu’s political party, reported that nine district mayors out of Istanbul’s total of 39 have now been arrested and remain in custody, AFP reported.

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Separately, police in Istanbul on Saturday also arrested dozens of protesters commemorating the twelfth anniversary of a wave of anti-government protests, lawyers said.

Police barriers stopped demonstrators from gathering at Taksim Square, adjacent to Gezi Park, a green space that was the heart of protests in 2013 over plans to redevelop it.

The Association of Progressive Lawyers said on X that “at least 87 people were arrested” in the Turkish city, scene of a fresh wave of protests in recent months.

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Several young people published a message on X saying: “We have been arrested.”

Imamoglu’s arrest sparked tensions

Imamoglu’s arrest and detention on March 19 sparked Turkey’s largest street demonstrations in decades, prompting significant public backlash against Erdogan’s government. Since Imamoglu’s imprisonment, nearly 70 additional people linked to Istanbul City Hall, including Imamoglu’s private secretary and bodyguard, have been detained in police raids.

The CHP, which has chosen Imamoglu as its candidate for Turkey’s presidential elections scheduled for 2028, did not immediately comment on the latest round of arrest warrants.

With inputs from agencies