Turkish authorities have detained the former mayor of Izmir and dozens of municipal officials on corruption charges.

Police have arrested 120 representatives of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), including Tunç Soyer and the party's provincial leader Şenol Aslanoglu. A total of 157 arrest warrants have been issued by the Izmir prosecutor's office as part of an investigation into public procurement manipulation and fraud, the Anadolu Agency reported.

This year, numerous representatives of municipalities controlled by the CHP — including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — have been arrested. Imamoglu was detained in March on corruption charges, sparking the largest street protests in Turkey in over a decade.

Imamoglu is considered a key opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 22-year rule and was officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate after his arrest. The next elections in the country are scheduled for 2028, but earlier elections cannot be ruled out.

According to opinion polls, many in Turkey believe the charges are politically motivated. | BGNES