Turkish court jails 10 opposition municipality officials in terrorism probe

A Turkish court has imprisoned ten municipality officials 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.

Thursday February 13 2025 11:57 pm

Duvar English

Ten municipal officials from Istanbul’s main opposition-led municipalities, including deputy mayors from Kartal and Ataşehir districts, were arrested as part of a “terrorism” investigation on Feb. 13.

Along with the deputy mayors of Kartal and Ataşehir districts, municipal council members from Üsküdar, Sancaktepe, Fatih, Tuzla, Adalar, Şişli, and Beyoğlu districts from Republican People's Party (CHP) were detained on Feb. 11.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office alleged that the "urban consensus" concept that CHP built with the pro-Kurdish People’s’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party for the 2024 local elections was devised by the leadership of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

WhatsApp groups showed as basis of arrests

The arrest request, prepared by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, claimed that the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), founded in 2011, was a continuation of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which the Anti-Terror Directorate classified as a “terrorist organization.”

Despite an İzmir court ruling that HDK was not an illegal organization, the prosecutor labeled it as such, alleging that Kartal Deputy Mayor Cemalettin Yüksel, Ataşehir Deputy Mayor Livan Gür, and eight others were involved in its activities.

Prosecutor Ahmet Şahin classified membership in WhatsApp groups, communication with individuals under investigation, magazine preparation, and note-taking as “terrorist activities,” requesting the arrest of all 10 individuals on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization.”

Kartal Deputy Mayor Yüksel’s communication with 313 individuals with criminal records and his membership in a WhatsApp group involving the name Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) were cited as evidence. A note found in his home was also interpreted as support for the PKK.

Similarly, Ataşehir Deputy Mayor Gür's contact with 52 individuals with criminal records and Üsküdar Municipality Council Member Bülent Kaygun’s communication with wanted individuals and membership in a WhatsApp group were among the reasons for their arrests.

Fatih Municipality Council Member Güzin Alpaslan’s arrest was also justified by her name appearing in a news article titled “March 8 Protests: Women Will Not Submit to Male-State Violence.”

Şişli Municipality Council Member Sinan Gökçe was also accused of attending a congress where former Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) Co-Chair Mithat Sancar delivered a speech.