Amid ongoing protests over the arrest of İstanbul’s popular mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the opposition-run Ankara Municipality over payments for public concerts, the Euronews Turkish edition reported.
The Ankara Municipality is run by Mayor Mansur Yavaş of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who is considered a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election.
Nine city employees are under investigation for allegedly causing financial losses due to payments made for 33 concerts organized by the municipality.
In a statement on Monday the municipality denied the accusations, saying the Court of Accounts and the Interior Ministry had previously inspected the payments in detail and found no irregularities.
The investigation into municipal officials could have been initiated after permission to proceed was obtained from the Ankara Governor’s Office. The municipality said its nine employees will challenge the governor’s decision in an administrative court in Ankara.
The investigation into the Ankara Municipality is the latest episode of an ongoing government crackdown on the CHP that has intensified over the past several months and culminated with the arrest and removal from office of İmamoğlu and two district mayors in İstanbul on Sunday on corruption or terrorism charges.
The number of CHP mayors arrested and removed from office in İstanbul since October has reached six.
The arrest of İmamoğlu has sparked nationwide protests that have led to the detention of more than 1,100 people, according to a statement from Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Monday.
Critics accuse Erdoğan of attempting to sideline his most powerful political rival through the use of the judicial power.