ANKARA, July 30 (Reuters) – Turkish police detained the opposition mayor of Ankara’s Etimesgut district on Thursday, among others in a graft investigation, broadcaster NTV and other media said.
• Mayor Erdal Besikcioglu was detained after police raided the Etimesgut municipality in the early hours, the report said.
• It was the latest step in an unprecedented legal crackdown on municipalities run by the main opposition to President Tayyip Erdogan.
• Prosecutors opened an embezzlement investigation into the municipality in March after irregularities were found in its accounts, NTV said.
• On Wednesday, police detained the opposition mayor of Istanbul district Uskudar, along with five others, over alleged irregularities in building and occupancy permits.
• The opposition has rejected a wave of accusations since 2024 and says the investigations are politically motivated. The government says the judiciary is independent.
(Reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
