A sweeping anti-corruption operation unfolded in the Aegean metropolis of Izmir on Tuesday, resulting in the detention of former Mayor Tunç Soyer and dozens of other high-profile figures from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The early morning raids, part of a major investigation into alleged corruption and irregularities, have sent shockwaves through the country's political landscape, with the CHP decrying the move as a politically motivated crackdown.
The operation, led by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, involved arrest warrants for 157 individuals. According to a report from the Turkish news outlet T24, those taken into custody include former Mayor Tunç Soyer, current CHP Izmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, and numerous senior bureaucrats who served during Soyer's administration. The probe was launched by the prosecutor's Terrorism and Organized Crime Bureaus based on claims of corruption involving the municipal company İZBETON AŞ and its dealings with subcontractor firms. The suspects face serious charges, including bid rigging, performance fraud, and aggravated fraud, stemming from various official audit reports.
The operation follows recent remarks by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who, upon returning from a NATO summit, commented on the state of municipalities led by the CHP. "It's not just Istanbul; other provinces are also a disaster," Erdoğan told journalists. "Corruption, irregularities, extortion, and bribery are rampant." These comments are now being widely interpreted by the opposition as having foreshadowed the judicial actions that followed in Izmir.
The CHP has fiercely condemned the detentions, framing them as a direct assault orchestrated by the government. CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır immediately linked the raids to the President's comments, stating, "The judiciary has become a perception tool for the government. This is a shameful situation!" He argued that President Erdoğan had essentially announced the operation before the prosecutor, questioning why similar dawn raids are not conducted against ruling party officials.
This sentiment was echoed by CHP Deputy Chairman Murat Bakan, who called the operation a political choice rather than a legal necessity. "These are people whose addresses are known, who are in the public eye every day. They would have gone to testify if summoned," Bakan stated on social media. "What we are witnessing today is the product of a judicial system that acts on orders, not law." CHP officials announced they were traveling to Izmir to stand in solidarity with their detained colleagues, signaling a deepening political confrontation over the role and independence of Turkey's judiciary.
Photo: T24