Police on Friday detained 44 people, including the mayor of Istanbul's central Beyoğlu district, Inan Günay, as part of a corruption investigation.
The Beyoğlu district is held by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Municipalities controlled by the CHP have faced waves of arrests this year, beginning in March.
Güney was the 16th mayor to have been taken into custody in the crackdown, in which a total of more than 500 people have been detained in less than a year.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting an investigation into the suspects, including Ekrem Imamoğlu, who was suspended from his position as Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayor after his arrest, on charges of "leading a criminal organization," "membership in a criminal organization," "extortion," "bribery," "aggravated fraud," "unlawful acquisition of personal data" and "tender rigging."
The Istanbul police office’s teams from the Financial Crimes Department determined that those held in the latest operation are suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities at companies linked to the Istanbul municipality.
The CHP denies the charges and calls them an attempt to eliminate a democratic alternative, a charge the government rejects.
