ISTANBUL: On Saturday, Turkish authorities stepped up their assault on the opposition-run Istanbul town, detaining 30 people and intensifying their investigation. A former Republican People’s Party ( CPP ) official and the mayors of Istanbul’s three CHP-run districts are among those present. According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the punishments were a part of four distinct bribery investigations involving the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The Istanbul management has been facing legal action since Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained on corruption charges on March 19 with the latest round of punishments. Imamoglu’s imprisonment, which is thought to be the most likely candidate to succeed Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the 22-year presidency, sparked widespread demonstrations calling for his release and the end of Turkey’s political stagnation. The opposition and its backers assert that his imprisonment and the following arrest of numerous others from the CHP were politically motivated. In front of a crowd of supporters in Duzce, CHP president Ozgur Ozel said,” This time the coup didn’t come with gloves and vehicles, but it did come with attorney’s robes.” The government insists that Turkey’s court is independent and free of political control. Late in April, the second and third waves of crackdowns on CHP-run towns and districts came in late May, resulting in lots of detentions.
