Crackdown through pressure and fraud
Unable to gain public consent, the regime is attempting to seize municipalities it failed to win through judicial pressure and fraud. While those who refuse are arrested, municipalities are being taken over through their council members.
Politics Service
Having no story left to tell the public and unable to generate social consent, the regime, which suffered a major defeat in the 31 March elections, is trying to regain what it lost at the ballot box through pressure, threats and fraud.
First, municipal mayors are arrested on fabricated grounds, then secret deals come into play.
The AKP-MHP administration seeks to take down municipalities using similar methods, sometimes by appointing trustees and sometimes by ‘transferring’ council members and mayors.
Speaking yesterday upon his return from Qatar, President Erdoğan argued that some individuals who joined the CHP had ‘gone to the main opposition party with good intentions’ but later encountered ‘corruption, bribery and embezzlement’ within the party, leading them to conclude they had ‘come to the wrong place’ and decide to leave. However, trustees were appointed to 13 municipalities, dozens of mayors were transferred, those who refused were arrested, and municipalities were taken over through their council members.
Since 19 March, operations have been carried out in 17 CHP municipalities. As part of these operations, a total of 15 mayors, including one from the previous term, have been arrested.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Baskı ve hileyle çökme hamlesi, published in BirGün newspaper on September 17, 2025.
