• Three mayors from Turkey's main opposition party arrested amid corruption allegations.
• The arrests are part of a broader crackdown following the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
• The Republican People's Party (CHP) decries the actions as politically motivated repression.
• Multiple arrests of opposition figures raise concerns about judicial independence in Turkey.
• CHP leaders challenge the unequal judicial scrutiny compared to ruling party officials.

Turkish authorities detained three mayors from the Republican People's Party (CHP) on Saturday, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and bribery. The detained officials include Zeydan Karalar, the mayor of Adana, Muhittin Bocek, the mayor of Antalya, and Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman. This recent crackdown is seen as an extension of previous measures targeting opposition figures since Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s imprisonment in March, which triggered significant public unrest, making it the largest protest movement in a decade, according to Reuters, Dawn, and Middle East Eye.

The arrests of the mayors have been followed by assertions from CHP leaders that such actions are politically motivated, aimed at debilitating Turkey's main opposition party. Mansur Yavas, the CHP mayor of Ankara, publicly condemned the arrests, stating that trust in the legal system is eroded when "justice is applied to one group and ignored by another." Both Karalar and Tutdere are linked to investigations led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into allegations of organized crime and corruption, spurred by testimony from a businessman cooperating with authorities following his own arrest, according to South China Morning Post and Los Angeles Times.

This latest initiative by the Turkish government is part of a larger trend of judicial actions affecting the CHP, heightening fears of political repression. Earlier recently, police arrested over 120 individuals in İzmir, Turkey's third-largest city, under similar corruption allegations. Critics argue that these political maneuvers are geared toward undermining the CHP, especially after their significant victories in the 2024 local elections, marking a keystone shift in Turkish politics, as detailed by Dawn and South China Morning Post.

As the situation evolves, there are growing calls for a reassessment of judicial independence in Turkey. The CHP's recent history of successful local elections, juxtaposed with the current crackdown, raises questions about the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) strategy to maintain power. The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) also criticized these actions, emphasizing the importance of upholding democratic principles. The arrests underscore ongoing political conflicts in Turkey as it approaches future elections, slated for 2028 but potentially occurring sooner, according to Middle East Eye and Los Angeles Times.