In a dramatic escalation of Turkey’s ongoing political and legal battles, an Istanbul court late Tuesday arrested Beyoğlu District Mayor İnan Güney and 16 other suspects as part of a sweeping corruption probe centered on the opposition-controlled Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). The arrests, which followed a months-long investigation, come just as the country reels from the conviction and continued imprisonment of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the city’s high-profile opposition mayor and a prominent rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
On August 15, authorities detained a total of 44 suspects, including Mayor Güney, in what prosecutors described as the ninth wave of a sprawling investigation that began in March. The operation, according to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, targets alleged corruption schemes involving public tenders and fraud against state institutions—charges that opposition leaders insist are politically motivated attempts to weaken their party’s grip on Turkey’s largest city.
Among those taken into custody were Güney’s chief of staff Seyhan Özcan, his brother-in-law İsmail Akkaya, and his driver Deniz Göleli. All 44 suspects underwent medical checks on the morning of August 18 before being brought to the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul. Prosecutors referred 20 individuals, including Güney, for formal arrest and sought judicial control measures for the remaining 24, which include requirements for regular police check-ins and bans on international travel.
After hours of court proceedings, 17 people—including Mayor Güney—were formally arrested, while 27 were released under judicial supervision. Turkish prosecutors claim the suspects are linked to broader corruption networks tied to figures already arrested in earlier operations, such as Murat Ongun, the former İBB spokesperson and close aide to Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been held in pre-trial detention since March 23. The investigation also names fugitive suspect Emrah Bağdatlı as a key figure.
According to opposition sources and reporting from Bianet, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) views these waves of arrests as a direct attempt by the government to overturn their sweeping victory in the 2024 local elections. The CHP’s Istanbul provincial chair, Özgür Çelik, spoke out forcefully after the latest arrests, declaring, “We witnessed something today that defies explanation in 21st-century Turkey. They arrested people using a copy-paste method.”
With Güney’s arrest, a suspension from office appears imminent. Under Turkish law, the district municipal council will elect a new mayor if the current one is suspended. Given that the CHP holds a majority in the Beyoğlu council, observers expect another CHP member to step in as acting mayor, at least for the time being.
The government, however, maintains that the process is strictly judicial and not politically motivated. Officials have repeatedly insisted that the courts are impartial and that there is no interference from the executive branch. This position is echoed by President Erdoğan’s administration, which continues to assert the independence of Turkey’s judiciary in the face of mounting domestic and international scrutiny.
This latest wave of arrests comes on the heels of another seismic development: the conviction of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. On August 20, a Turkish court sentenced İmamoğlu to one year and eight months in prison for insulting and threatening a public official—namely, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. The charges stem from comments İmamoğlu made on January 20, in which he criticized Gürlek for allegedly targeting opposition figures through politically motivated investigations. The court acquitted İmamoğlu of a separate charge of publicly identifying the prosecutor with the intent to make him a target, but the conviction was enough to keep him behind bars.
İmamoğlu, widely seen as the principal challenger to Erdoğan’s two-decade rule, has been held in a prison west of Istanbul since March 23. He is expected to appeal the verdict, but his continued detention has already had profound political repercussions. His arrest in March, which was part of the same anti-corruption investigations targeting the CHP, ignited the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Demonstrators across the country have called for his release and denounced what they see as an assault on democracy and the rule of law.
Since İmamoğlu’s arrest, the wave of detentions has only intensified. Dozens of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP have been swept up in operations focused on alleged tender rigging and bribery. The opposition argues that these charges are nothing more than a pretext to undermine their electoral gains and neutralize key political opponents ahead of the next general elections, currently scheduled for 2028 but widely rumored to be potentially moved up.
İmamoğlu himself has been outspoken about the nature of his prosecution. “This is punishment, not justice,” he said, accusing the judiciary of acting under government pressure. Many opposition leaders have echoed his sentiment, arguing that the legal system is being weaponized to sideline Erdoğan’s most formidable rivals. The CHP alleges that the government’s goal is to stymie İmamoğlu’s political career and roll back the party’s historic wins in Istanbul and other major cities.
Meanwhile, the Erdoğan administration stands firm in its defense of the judiciary’s independence. Officials insist that all actions taken by the courts are based on evidence and due process, not political calculation. “The courts are impartial and free of political involvement,” government spokespeople have reiterated, pushing back against claims of interference.
The deepening polarization between government and opposition is now playing out in the streets, the courts, and the corridors of municipal power. As waves of arrests and legal actions continue to ripple through Istanbul’s political landscape, both sides appear to be digging in for a protracted battle. The stakes are high: Istanbul is not just Turkey’s largest city, but a potent symbol of national power and political legitimacy. For Erdoğan, regaining control of the city would be a major victory. For the opposition, holding onto Istanbul is essential to maintaining momentum and credibility ahead of the next national election.
For ordinary Istanbulites, the spectacle of arrests, court cases, and political drama is a stark reminder of the country’s turbulent politics. With the next elections looming—whether in 2028 or sooner—the fate of the city’s leadership, and perhaps the broader trajectory of Turkish democracy, hangs in the balance.
