Turkish Police Detain Actor-Turned-Mayor Erdal Besikcioglu in Latest Raids Targeting Opposition
ISTANBUL — In a significant escalation of the ongoing crackdown on opposition-run municipalities in Turkey, police have detained a former TV actor-turned-mayor, Erdal Besikcioglu, in the latest wave of arrests targeting the opposition. The move comes as part of a broader effort to silence dissenting voices and consolidate power in the hands of the ruling party.
Besikcioglu, the mayor of Etimesgut Municipality in western Ankara, is being investigated for allegations of irregularities and forgery in municipal tenders, the Justice Ministry said in a statement. Investigators are also examining parking lot leasing schemes and construction zoning permissions, which have been a point of contention between the opposition and the ruling party.
Besikcioglu’s detention marks the latest in a long line of arrests targeting opposition-run municipalities in Turkey. Hundreds of elected mayors and other officials have been arrested in the past two years as part of criminal investigations, mostly into alleged corruption. The move has been widely criticized by human rights groups and opposition parties, who argue that the crackdown is an attempt to suppress dissent and silence opposition voices.
The opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, has been a key target of the government’s crackdown. Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and widely considered the strongest potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has also been arrested and imprisoned since March last year. He faces criminal cases that could result in decades-long sentences.
The CHP leadership was removed by court order in May, prompting the formation of the New Party by deposed party head Ozgur Ozel. Ninety CHP legislators quit the CHP for the New Party, making it the largest opposition group in parliament. The move has been seen as an attempt to undermine the opposition and consolidate power in the hands of the ruling party.
Some 42 municipal officials and 13 company representatives were targeted in Thursday’s dawn raids across nine provinces overseen by the Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Justice Ministry said. Three deputy mayors were also arrested. The suspects are being held on charges of establishing and running a criminal organization; membership in a criminal organization; embezzlement; bribery; extortion; and tender-rigging.
Police detained 52 suspects and conducted searches at 71 locations, including homes and offices. Documents and digital materials were seized during the raids, the ministry’s statement added.
The crackdown on opposition-run municipalities in Turkey has been widely condemned by human rights groups and opposition parties. The move has been seen as an attempt to suppress dissent and silence opposition voices, and has sparked widespread protests and demonstrations across the country.
