Pressure on CHP, five former mayors in Turkey sentenced to prison

Five former mayors in Turkey, all from the ruling Republican People's Party (CHP), have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from a few months to more than 23 years after trials on corruption charges. An Istanbul court announced the verdict on Monday against the opposition officials, who were arrested in the first half of 2025 as part of a wave of investigations into CHP representatives.

The most severe sentence was given to Riza Akpolat, the former mayor of Besiktas in Istanbul. He was found guilty of corruption, money laundering and irregularities in public procurement and sentenced to 23 years and three months in prison. Akpolat was acquitted of the charge of membership in a criminal organization. Before the court, Akpolat declared his innocence and that there was no irrefutable evidence against him, describing the charges as based on defamatory statements.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Adiyaman was acquitted. Another opposition official, elected in 2024 in one of Istanbul's largest suburbs, was given an eight-month suspended sentence for negligent abuse of power. In the same trial, businessman Aziz Ihsan Aktas, whose testimony had implicated several opposition politicians, was acquitted. He had initially faced a sentence that could have reached 280 years in prison.

Pressure on the CHP

The latest decisions come as the CHP faces a wave of arrests and investigations into opposition-elected mayors. The party scored a significant victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP in the 2024 local elections. However, dozens of CHP mayors have been arrested or removed from office since then.

 One of the leading opposition figures, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was arrested as he prepared to run in the 2028 presidential election. His arrest on corruption charges, which he denies, sparked major protests in Turkey and reignited debate over political pressure on the opposition.

Po ndodh...

08:23 EKONOMI&SOCIALE

Çfarë po ndodh me monedhat e huaja? Ja sa shitet dhe blihet euro dhe dollari për ditën e sotme

08:15 AKTUALITET

Vranësira kalimtare pa reshje shiu dhe temperatura të larta, parashikimi i motit për këtë të martë

00:03 FJALEKRYQI

Free scheme August 25

23:44 SPORT

Frattesi heroi i Lazios/ Gattuso merr tri pikët në transfertën ndaj Bolognës

23:27 POLITIKË

“Nesër më shumë”/ Revoltë kundër të gjithë klasës politike, mbyllet protesta e 86-të radhazi

22:59 KOSOVA

"Zgjidhni presidentin ose jeni në telashe"/ Paralajmërimi i fortë i Joe Dioguardi për politikanët e Kosovës: Armiqtë e shqiptarëve janë gati!

22:53 POLITIKË

Protesta/ Turistja gjermane: Luftoni! Ju e meritoni demokracinë

22:21 AKTUALITET

Vrasja e nënës dhe plagosja e babait në Lushnjë, reagon Policia: I sulmoi me...

21:45 SHOWBIZ

FOTO/ Labinot Rexha pëson aksident gjatë rrugës për në Zvicër

21:35 POLITIKË

“Rama e Berisha janë bashkë”/ Qytetari i vë afat kryeministrit: Nëse nuk na përgjigjesh brenda 3 ditëve…

21:27 POLITIKË

Dita e 86 e revoltës/ Qytetarët nisin marshimin në rrugët e Tiranës: Atdheu është i yni!

20:10 POLITIKË

Rama does not part with the Benz/ Details of the new 121 thousand euro luxury Mercedes that the Prime Minister is using

18:58 MISTERE&KURIOZITETE

Peshkaqeni që mund të jetojë 400 vjet dhe sytë e tij duket se nuk plaken

18:11 MISTERE&KURIOZITETE

Shkencëtarët krijuan një 'Big Bang' të vogël në CERN

Dua të lexoj më shumë lajme