How many CHP mayors have been arrested since the March 31, 2024 elections?

Following the March 31, 2024 elections, in which the CHP came first in the ballot box after 47 years, pressure on the party has increased. Waves of operations, detentions and arrests… So which CHP mayors have been arrested so far?

After the CHP came first in the local elections held 15 months ago, the "normalization process" that began in politics was soon replaced by trustees, detentions and arrests. Finally, this morning, Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were detained.

Yesterday, 35 of the 119 suspects detained in the investigation launched by the Izmir Public Prosecutor's Office regarding corruption allegations against the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality were arrested. Among the arrested names are former Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, CHP Izmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu and former İzBETON General Manager Heval Savaş Kaya.

In the judicial operations carried out against CHP municipalities since March 31, many mayors, bureaucrats and municipal employees have been detained and many have been arrested.

The process began with the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer on October 30, 2024, on charges of “being a member of the PKK/KCK armed terrorist organization.” The investigations gradually expanded to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and other municipalities in Istanbul. Five waves of operations were carried out against the IMM, and 9 mayors were arrested in Istanbul on charges of “corruption, bribery, rigging bids and being a member of an organization for the purpose of committing a crime.”

Another leg of the investigations extended to Adana. Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar and Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin were also arrested.

Esenyurt Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer was arrested after being detained on October 30.

Özer, who was charged with TCK 314/2, namely “membership in an armed terrorist organization,” was arrested on the charge of “membership in a PKK/KCK armed terrorist organization.” The Ministry of Interior appointed Istanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy as a trustee in place of Özer, whom it dismissed.

Despite all the objections made by his lawyers, Özer, who continues to be detained, was indicted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office 113 days after the incident. It was requested that Özer be tried for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and face a prison sentence of 7.5 to 15 years.

Appearing before the judge for the first time on May 23, Özer said that the case was a political case and asked, "If I am acquitted tomorrow, who will be held accountable for being deprived of my freedom for so long?"

The next hearing for Özer, whose detention was decided to continue, will be held on July 14.

On the other hand, Özer was arrested on January 21 for “rigging a tender” as part of the investigation into the criminal organization.

Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who was detained in Balıkesir-Edremit on January 13 and referred to the courthouse on January 16 within the scope of the tender corruption investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, was arrested on charges of "establishing and managing a criminal organization, being a member of a criminal organization, paying bribes, rigging tenders and laundering assets."

After Akpolat was arrested and removed from office, Ömer Rasim Şişman was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Beşiktaş.

Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler was detained at his home at around 04:00 on February 27 on charges of “rigging a tender” and “abuse of office.” 13 people, including Köseler, were arrested .

Özlem Vural Gürzel was elected as Deputy Mayor in place of Köseler.

The Beykoz Municipality indictment was prepared on June 5th, the first hearing will be held on September 2nd.

The monitoring and judicial processes regarding Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been targeted by the ruling circles since he was elected as the mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) in 2019, have intensified as his candidacy for the presidency has begun to gain strength.

İmamoğlu, whose undergraduate degree was revoked on March 18 due to allegations that his horizontal transfer was irregular, was detained a day later along with many other IMM bureaucrats as part of two separate investigations related to “corruption” and “terrorism.”

İmamoğlu announced the detention order against him in a video he recorded during the police raid on his home on the morning of March 19, saying, "I regret to say that a handful of minds trying to usurp the will of our nation have piled up at the door of the homes of 16 million Istanbulites, using my beloved police officers and the country's security forces as instruments of this evil. We are faced with great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not give up."

İmamoğlu was arrested on March 23, when the primary elections to determine the CHP's presidential candidate in the next elections were held, in which he was the only candidate.

İmamoğlu was removed from his post as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality by the decision of the Ministry of Interior. CHP Municipal Council Member Nuri Aslan was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in İmamoğlu's place.

One of the people detained in the first wave of the IMM operation on March 19 was Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık.

Önder Serkan Çebi was elected as Beylikdüzü Deputy Mayor instead of Çalık, who was arrested on March 23.

He was transferred from Marmara Prison in Silivri to Izmir-Buca Prison on June 4, and announced this decision by saying, "It is not that conscientious."

Mehmet Murat Çalık's lawyers said that Çalık had been treated for cancer twice, that he could not do his military service because he had lost 18 kilos in prison, and that his risk of death had increased.

Çalık, who was referred to the hospital due to health problems he experienced in prison, had abnormal findings detected in his lymphatic system and underwent surgery. His lawyer Melih Koçhan said, “He has just come out of surgery. He is asleep now because he had general anesthesia. He has not seen the doctor yet. There seems to be no problem at the moment.”

Another person detained along with İmamoğlu on March 19 was Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan.

A trustee was appointed to Şişli Municipality in place of Şahan, who was arrested on March 23 as part of the “city reconciliation” investigation.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs appointed Şişli District Governor Cevdet Ertürkmen as Şişli Deputy Mayor.

A new wave was added to the operations targeting CHP municipalities on the morning of May 31, 2025, which started with the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer and expanded with the arrests of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, and Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık.

In the fifth wave operation, 38 people, including Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün, were detained and 22 people were arrested.

Among those arrested are five district mayors, three from Istanbul and two from Adana, including former CHP MP Aykut Erdoğdu.

The mayors who were removed from their posts in the fifth wave, the accusations against them and the names appointed in their place are as follows:

• Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara: Arrested by the Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of Peace within the scope of the investigation launched on the charge of “extortion through coercion”. CHP’s Yüksel Can became the Deputy Mayor instead of Çaykara.
• Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün: Detained for the crimes of “taking a bribe” and “extortion by force”, Akgün was arrested by the decision of the Istanbul 6th Criminal Court of Peace. CHP’s Ahmet Şahin became the Deputy Mayor.
• Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe: Arrested by the Istanbul 11th Criminal Court of Peace in the investigation launched on charges of “taking bribes”. AKP candidate Eray Karadeniz won the election held in Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality and Gaziosmanpaşa was transferred to the AKP.
• Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar: An investigation was launched against him on the charge of “extortion by force” within the scope of the same file of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and he was arrested by the decision of the Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of Peace. CHP Council Member Sevil Aydar Yıldız became the Deputy Mayor of Ceyhan Municipality.
• Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin: Arrested on charges of “extortion by force” within the same file. CHP candidate Hasibe Akkan became Deputy Mayor instead of Tekin.

Following the ongoing operation in Antalya-Manavgat Municipality, in which at least 35 people were detained, operations were carried out in three more municipalities run by CHP today.

Within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office , a detention order was issued this morning for Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere and Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar.

Deputy Mayor of Büyükçekmece Ahmet Şahin and his driver, lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu, Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Seyhan Municipality Cleaning Services Manager Özcan Zenger, who served during Karalar's term as Seyhan Mayor, Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere and Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan were detained within the scope of investigations targeting CHP municipalities.

Three people, including Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek, were detained in the “bribery” investigation conducted by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.