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New Arrest Wave Targets Top Istanbul Officials; Municipality Claims Kanal Istanbul Retaliation

A fresh wave of detentions targeting high-ranking officials within the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) unfolded early Tuesday, escalating political tensions between the opposition-led city administration and Turkey's central government. Arrest warrants were issued for IBB Deputy Secretary-General Yeşim Meltem Şişli and Şafak Başa, the General Manager of ISKI (Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration), among others, as part of an ongoing investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The operation sparked immediate and fierce condemnation from IBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and officials from his Republican People's Party (CHP), who vehemently claim the arrests are politically motivated retaliation for the municipality's staunch opposition to the controversial Kanal Istanbul project.

Mayor İmamoğlu, reacting strongly to the news, declared, "Whoever they have marketed Kanal Istanbul to, they continue to betray the nation." He framed the detentions as part of a sustained effort to undermine the municipality's administration and its efforts to protect Istanbul's resources.

IBB Acting Mayor Selçuk Aslan echoed this sentiment. Speaking about the operation, Aslan directly linked the detentions to recent actions concerning areas affected by the planned canal route. "The detained individuals were working to implement the decision regarding the Sazlıdere Dam," Aslan stated, referring to a critical water source threatened by the Kanal Istanbul project. He suggested the arrests were an attempt to obstruct municipal actions to preserve the dam and surrounding environment.

Adding fuel to these claims is the timing of the operation. Just days prior, ISKI, under the management of the now-targeted Şafak Başa, issued a demolition order for construction undertaken by TOKI, Turkey's state-backed housing authority, within the Kanal Istanbul project zone near the Sazlıdere Dam. The municipality argued the construction lacked proper permits and posed an environmental risk.

CHP officials portrayed the arrests as a deliberate strategy by the ruling AK Party government to paralyze the IBB. "The real reason is Kanal Istanbul," a Republican People's Party (CHP) statement asserted soon after the news broke. "The IBB is effectively being rendered inoperable." Party spokespersons argued that the government is using judicial mechanisms to punish the municipality for opposing the mega-project, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has championed despite widespread environmental and economic concerns.

The Kanal Istanbul project envisages digging a massive artificial waterway parallel to the Bosphorus Strait. Mayor İmamoğlu has consistently opposed it since taking office in 2019, citing irreversible ecological damage, risks to Istanbul's water supply (particularly the Sazlıdere basin), earthquake vulnerability concerns, and immense costs. His administration has actively challenged the project through legal and administrative means.

The new detentions represent a significant escalation in the long-simmering conflict between the central government and Turkey's largest city, governed by the main opposition party. While the prosecutor's office has not yet detailed the specific allegations leading to the warrants, previous operations targeting IBB personnel have often centered on claims of irregular tenders or past appointments. However, the consistent focus by IBB officials on the Kanal Istanbul connection highlights the deep political rift surrounding the project and its implications for governance and dissent in Turkey.

Sources: Turkish web media

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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