Four Turkish mayors who had opposed the country’s president were arrested this week, amid a widening crackdown that has ensnared more than 500 government critics.
Ankara has said the detentions were part of a wide-ranging effort to battle corruption, but the vast majority of those targeted belong to the opposition CHP: The mayors detained by police were all members of the party, while a Reuters tally puts the overall total at 14 elected CHP mayors, as well as upward of 200 party members or affiliated local officials.
The arrests come with elections on the horizon: A nationwide vote must be held before 2028 if President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is to run again — unless he amends a constitutional term limit.
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