In Turkey, the crackdown on the opposition continues: on 5 July three mayors, all members of the Republican People’s Party (CHP, Kemalist, centre-left), were arrested as part of a vast investigation into accusations of organized crime aimed at muzzling the opposition. The arrest follows on from the 19 March arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu (CHP), mayor of Istanbul and main political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (AKP, Islamo-Conservative). In recent months, several hundred party members, including a dozen mayors, have been apprehended. Press cartoonists have also been arrested for publishing a religious caricature.
One hundred days after İmamoğlu’s arrest, tens of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul to express support for the leading opposition figure. More than forty people were arrested.
Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
