The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) strives to save face amid mounting probes of corruption against its municipalities. The party’s seeming unity in opposing what it calls "politically-motivated” trial of mayors took a blow, however, in its main stronghold, Izmir. This third-largest city of Türkiye had its former mayor, Tunç Soyer, arrested in July 2025, about one year after the CHP did not nominate him for municipal elections, preferring incumbent Mayor Cemil Tugay instead.

Soyer, who is accused of corruption at the municipality, claimed Tugay had a role in his imprisonment, in recent statements published on social media. Through his lawyers. Tugay dismissed the claims and said Soyer attempted to "defame” him.

The former mayor, who served between 2019 and 2024, was arrested along with CHP’s former Izmir chair on charges of corruption at a subsidiary of the Izmir municipality. In statements from prison, Soyer has implied Tugay was behind his arrest, specifically criminal complaints targeting him. Tugay partially admitted this and said he conducted an internal investigation after taking office from Soyer in 2024 and found out irregularities. However, he dodged responsibility in the prosecution of Soyer, claiming that it was the Interior Ministry that launched the complaints. Soyer on Monday responded to Tugay’s remarks through a social media post. He accused the incumbent mayor of "harboring an unending hostility” toward him. "You are the mayor of Türkiye’s third biggest city and should be occupied with more pressing issues, as Izmir is battling water shortage as well as floods. Instead, you are busy creating misperceptions about me,” he said. "You are responsible for the imprisonment of your predecessor, who is from the same party as you. Stop messing with me and attend to your duties,” he concluded.