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Turkey opposition crackdown reaches private lives

18 Mayıs 2026 Pazartesi

ANKARA (Medyascope) – An ongoing crackdown on Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has continued to expand with allegations targeting the personal lives of senior CHP officials. 

By Özgecan Özgenç • Medyascope

The CHP continues to face enormous judicial pressure, with ongoing cases threatening to remove the party’s top brass, regular raids on CHP-held municipalities, and the continued imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other top officials. 

New allegations center on arrested Uşak mayor

In late March, Uşak mayor and CHP member Özkan Yalım was arrested along with 10 other municipal officials on alleged corruption charges.

Yalım was expelled from the CHP on May 2nd after reports emerged that he had been arrested at a hotel in Ankara, where he was allegedly sharing a room with a 21-year-old Uşak municipal employee. Yalım’s expulsion from the main opposition party followed a one-month suspension period.

Yalım was a known ally of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel. Following reports that Yalım had hosted ‘unethical’ gatherings involving high-up CHP officials at his private businesses, many believed Yalım would not be expelled from the party due to the risk that he would make undesirable disclosures implicating other officials once expelled. 

During the CHP’s internal investigation into Yalım, the Uşak mayor had denied the allegations against him and reportedly asked that the party stand behind him. 

In a reversal following his arrest and expulsion from the CHP, Yalım admitted to numerous allegations against him, seeking a reduced sentence under Turkey’s effective remorse law. Yalım’s effective remorse testimony included allegations he had given Özgür Özel 1.2 million Turkish Liras in cash for party congress expenses, had Özel’s VIP vehicle expenses paid from the Uşak municipal budget, and included 10 soccer players from the city’s Uşakspor team on the municipal payroll. Özel has denied involvement in these allegations.

Other CHP officials have spoken out strongly against Yalım since his arrest and expulsion, portraying the Uşak mayor as a womanizer with unethical business and political habits. 

Imprisoned Antalya mayor issues ‘effective remorse’ testimony

Antalya mayor Muhittin Böcek, another member of the CHP first detained on corruption charges in July 2025, also issued an ‘effective remorse’ testimony on May 11th in a push for a reduced sentence.

The move comes after previous statements from Böcek denying rumors he was prepared to confess to some of his charges in exchange for a reduced sentence. 

In August 2025, Böcek’s son was imprisoned in connection with the Antalya mayor’s alleged corruption charges, followed by his daughter-in-law in May 2026. The imprisoned mayor reportedly experienced a nervous breakdown in early May as a result of the mounting pressure on him and his family. 

In addition to corruption at the municipal level, Böcek is accused of having paid a bribe in order to secure his candidacy ahead of 2024’s local elections. 

Turkey opposition crackdown reaches private lives by Özgecan Özgenç | Translated by Leo Kendrick for Medyascope 

CHP operasyonları Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) Özgür Özel

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