Erdoğan’s Purge of the Opposition Goes Full Throttle: 22 CHP Mayors Removed in Two Years

ISTANBUL — The political landscape in Turkey has transformed into a high-stakes judicial battlefield as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration intensifies its crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Between March 2024 and March 2026, the Turkish judiciary and Ministry of Interior have systematically targeted local governments, resulting in the arrest or removal of 22 CHP mayors at the provincial and district levels.

The strategy, which critics describe as a “judicial coup” against the will of the voters, has seen elected officials replaced either by government-appointed trustees (kayyums) or by municipal council members from the ruling AK Party (AKP) following controversial internal elections.

The Falling Dominos: Bursa and Uşak

The most significant blow to the opposition came with the removal of Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım. Following their arrests and subsequent removal from office by the Ministry of Interior, the political map of Turkey began to shift back toward the ruling alliance.

In Bursa, a controversial council election—boycotted by the CHP in protest of police intervention—resulted in the appointment of Şahin Biba (AKP) as the acting mayor. This maneuver effectively handed one of Turkey’s most industrial and symbolic cities back to the AK Party, reversing the opposition’s historic 2024 victory.

Dawn Raids and “Operation Space-Opening”

The crackdown shows no signs of slowing down. As of early April 2026, the focus has shifted to Mersin, Bolu, and Istanbul:

• Mersin (Yenişehir): At 5:00 AM, Counter-Terrorism and Financial Crime units raided the Yenişehir Municipality. Reports indicate that Mayor Abdullah Özyiğit has been unreachable, while 30 others, including deputy mayors and company executives, face detention orders over allegations of “tender rigging” and “bribery.”

• Bolu: In a midnight operation, Deputy Mayor Leyla Beykoz and Council Member Aydan Özdemir were detained. This follows the removal of Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, who faces charges of “coercive extortion.” In a striking display of judicial volatility, three previously released officials were re-arrested within 24 hours following a prosecutor’s objection.

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• Istanbul (Üsküdar): A massive operation targeted the Üsküdar Municipality, focusing on permit and housing irregularities. 20 people, including Deputy Mayor Filiz Deveci, were taken into custody. Prosecutors allege that the municipality used a subsidiary, Kent A.Ş., as a front to solicit irregular payments from contractors.

A Systematic Dismantling

The sheer scale of the operations suggests a centralized strategy. CHP Ankara Provincial Chair Ümit Erkol was among nine people recently detained and transferred to Izmir, signaling that the crackdown is not limited to municipal administrators but extends to the party’s regional leadership.

Journalists and political analysts, including İsmail Saymaz, have characterized these moves as a “Space-Opening Operation.” By criminalizing the CHP’s municipal cadres, the government achieves three objectives:

1. Resource Control: Reclaiming the “rents” and budgets of major urban centers to fund the ruling bloc’s 2027 election machine.

2. Service Paralysis: Choking opposition municipalities financially and legally so they cannot deliver on promises, thereby alienating voters.

3. Narrative Dominance: Using state media to frame the CHP as a “hub of corruption and terror links” ahead of the constitutional maneuvers required for President Erdoğan’s potential third term.

The Opposition’s Response

The CHP has responded with protests and boycotts, accusing the government of ignoring the “National Will” (Milli İrade) expressed in the 2024 local elections. However, with the judiciary moving at “fast-forward” speed and police cordons preventing party members from entering municipal buildings, the opposition’s ability to hold its ground is being severely tested.

As Bursa falls back into AKP hands and Mersin sits in the crosshairs, the “15-month to-do list” for Erdoğan’s re-election appears to be moving from political theory into a harsh, street-level reality. The question remains: how many CHP strongholds will be left standing by the time a potential 2027 election is called?

PA Turkey newsdesk