'Terror' investigation targets multiple Istanbul municipalities
Turkish police have detained ten people as part of a "terror probe" into multiple CHP-run municipalities, citing the party's "urban consensus" with the pro-Kurdish DEM Party for the 2024 local elections. Deputy mayors and council members were among those detained.
Duvar English
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Feb. 11 launched a terror investigation into several Istanbul municipalities, where an "urban consensus" initiative was established prior to the 2024 local elections.
Authorities announced that 10 individuals were detained.
Police detained deputy mayors of Kartal and Ataşehir districts, along with municipal council members from Üsküdar, Sancaktepe, Fatih, Tuzla, Adalar, Şişli, and Beyoğlu districts which are all run by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office alleged that the "urban consensus" concept was devised by the leadership of a terror organization.
The statement claimed it was intended to function as a framework for implementing a democratic autonomy system. In eastern provinces, the plan reportedly aimed to establish autonomy through local governance, while in western provinces, it sought to include the Kurdish population in local governance through a system resembling autonomy.
The "urban consensus" model allegedly allowed Kurdish groups to secure quotas in municipal councils in exchange for supporting certain candidates, granting them influence over council decisions and positioning them as a political counterbalance.
The prosecutor's office further asserted that the autonomy system and the formula were part of a broader structure above the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic (DEM) Party. It added that affiliated groups, including the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), were key entities managing grassroots organization efforts within the "terror group"’s structure.
The statement continued, explaining that individuals allegedly affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party’s (PKK) political branch in Istanbul, who had taken roles as deputy mayors, municipal council members, and other local governance positions after the 2024 local elections, were targeted in the operation.
As of 6:30 a.m., simultaneous raids resulted in 10 arrests. Police searched the homes, offices, and official rooms of the named individuals, including the deputy mayors involved. They seized banned publications, organizational documents, and digital materials.