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Turkish authorities on Friday detained Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney and dozens of others in a new round of police raids targeting the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), intensifying what the party calls an unprecedented campaign against its elected local officials.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said arrest warrants were issued for 44 people over alleged bribery, extortion, fraud against a public institution, leading a criminal organization, and unlawfully obtaining personal data. Forty‑three were taken into custody, and one suspect remained at large. Prosecutors stated that the suspects were linked to Murat Ongun and fugitive Emrah Bağdatlı, and alleged that the fraud schemes involved Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) subsidiaries, namely Medya AŞ and Kültür AŞ.
Those detained alongside Güney include Yiğit Oğuz Duman, an adviser to the Istanbul metropolitan mayor; Özge Bağdatlı, the sister of the fugitive suspect; Güney's private secretary Seyhan Özcan; his sister Sabriye Akkaya; his driver Deniz Göleli; and Recep Cebeci, the driver of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, according to local media reports. Employees of Kültür AŞ and Medya AŞ were also among those held.
Shortly before he was detained, Güney wrote on social media that he was facing "vile slanders," adding: "We have not done a single thing we cannot account for."
CHP leader condemned the operation as politically motivated. "To the gangs within the state: Whether it's nine waves or ninety‑nine, you will not succeed," party chair Özgür Özel said, urging supporters to remain calm and insisting the party would prevail through public support.
The latest raids mark the ninth wave in a series of investigations centered on corruption and terrorism allegations that have swept CHP‑run municipalities since the March 31, 2024, local elections. According to figures compiled by Turkish and international outlets, at least 15 CHP mayors are in pre‑trial detention, including Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been jailed since March 19. Other Istanbul district mayors reported to be behind bars include Ahmet Özer (Esenyurt), Rıza Akpolat (Beşiktaş), Alaattin Köseler (Beykoz), Resul Emrah Şahan (Şişli), Murat Çalık (Beylikdüzü), Hasan Akgün (Büyükçekmece), Hakan Bahçetepe (Gaziosmanpaşa), and Utku Caner Çaykara (Avcılar). Outside Istanbul, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek are among those detained, along with Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, and former İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer.
Authorities say the operations target organized corruption, bid‑rigging, and, in some cases, alleged terrorism links. The first significant arrest in the current cycle came in October 2024, when Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was jailed on charges of membership in the PKK/KCK. The pace accelerated in March 2025 with İmamoğlu's detention, followed by additional waves in May and June, and expanded in July with actions against the mayors of Adana and Antalya.
CHP officials describe the prosecutions as an attempt to overturn the will of voters and weaken Turkey's main opposition through the courts. Party statements have labeled the process a "political coup." Rights groups and opposition parties have urged transparency and due process, while government officials have maintained that the probes are lawful anti‑corruption efforts.
Local media reports that those detained in Friday's raids are being questioned by organized crime units ahead of possible court referrals for formal arrest rulings. No trial dates have been announced.