Türkiye Detains 10 Officials, Widening a Crackdown on Istanbul's Opposition-held Districts

Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu supporters shout slogans as they gather in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Placards read in Turkish: “There is no salvation alone; either all of us or none of us”. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu supporters shout slogans as they gather in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Placards read in Turkish: “There is no salvation alone; either all of us or none of us”. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
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Türkiye Detains 10 Officials, Widening a Crackdown on Istanbul's Opposition-held Districts

Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu supporters shout slogans as they gather in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Placards read in Turkish: “There is no salvation alone; either all of us or none of us”. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu supporters shout slogans as they gather in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Placards read in Turkish: “There is no salvation alone; either all of us or none of us”. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Turkish police on Tuesday detained 10 senior officials of Istanbul district municipalities over alleged links to Kurdish militants, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, widening a crackdown on opposition-held city districts.

The detainees include the deputy mayors of the districts of Kartal and Atasehir and eight district municipal council members, Anadolu reported. All are members of Türkiye's main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP.

They were detained on suspicion of appointing people with alleged connections to Kurdish militants to municipal positions, thereby allowing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, to infiltrated the municipalities, Anadolu reported.

Critics view the detentions as part of a government campaign to discredit Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with other opposition figures in the city, according to The AP.

Erdogan’s government rejects allegations that it pressures the courts, insisting the judiciary operates independently.

The CHP made significant gains in Istanbul and across the country in local elections last year, in a major setback to Erdogan’s ruling party.

Imamoglu blamed the detentions on Erdogan, saying on social media that the move was the result of the “whims of one person who considers himself to be above the will of the people.”

Party chairman Ozgur Ozel accused Erdogan of undermining the voters' choice.

“He (Erdogan) is saying: ‘if all of you democrats unite and defeat an autocrat like me, I will make those who were elected suffer,’” Ozel told CHP legislators in a speech.

Imamoglu faces possible jail terms over a series of charges, including for criticizing legal investigations targeting him and other mayors. In 2022, he was sentenced for insulting public officials after he spoke out against a 2019 decision to annul the initial round of local elections, which he won. If a higher court upholds his conviction, he could be banned from politics for five years.

Last year, the mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district was arrested over alleged links to the PKK, while the mayor of Besiktas district was arrested this year over allegations of bid-rigging and bribery. The two have rejected the accusations.

Since the local elections, the government has ousted several elected mayors from the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party for alleged ties to the PKK and replaced them with state appointees. The party denies accusations of links to the banned group.



Indian Troops Exchanged Fire with Pakistani Soldiers in Disputed Kashmir

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35kms from Amritsar on April 24, 2025. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35kms from Amritsar on April 24, 2025. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)
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Indian Troops Exchanged Fire with Pakistani Soldiers in Disputed Kashmir

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35kms from Amritsar on April 24, 2025. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35kms from Amritsar on April 24, 2025. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)

Indian officials said the army had a brief exchange of fire with Pakistani soldiers along their highly militarized frontier in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, as the nuclear-armed rivals ramped up tit-for-tat diplomatic offensive following a deadly attack on tourists.

The report of a gunfight comes amid soaring tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad after gunmen killed 26 people near the resort town of Pahalgam in Kashmir on Tuesday. India immediately described the massacre a “terror attack” and said it had “cross border” links, blaming Pakistan for backing it.

Pakistan denied any connection to the attack, which was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance, The Associated Press said.

Three Indian army officials said that Pakistani soldiers used small arms to fire at an Indian position in Kashmir late Thursday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy, said Indian soldiers retaliated and no casualties were reported.

In Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday declined to confirm or deny the report. Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told a news conference that “I will wait for a formal confirmation from the military before I make any comment."

He added there had been no effort yet from any other country to mediate.

In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in Kashmir, which both claim in its entirety.

The United Nations has urged India and Pakistan “to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that the situation and the developments we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further.”

“Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe can be and should be resolved peacefully, through meaningful, mutual engagement,” the statement said Friday.

Following the attack, India announced a series of diplomatic actions against Pakistan.

New Delhi on Wednesday suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty that has withstood two wars between the two countries and closed the only functional land border crossing between the countries while also cutting the number of diplomatic staff. A day later, India revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday.

In retaliation, Pakistan on Thursday responded angrily that it has nothing to do with the attack, and canceled visas issued to Indian nationals, closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and suspended all trade with India, including to and from any third country.

It also warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert flow of water would be considered an “act of war” and met with “full force across the complete spectrum” of Pakistan’s national power.

Tuesday’s attack in Kashmir was the worst assault in years, targeting civilians in the restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades.

India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir. New Delhi describes all militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle.