Turkey's opposition mayors under pressure

When the CHP's candidate for Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu—a relatively unknown local politician at the time—defeated the incumbent AK Party candidate in the mayoral race, the AK Party launched a legal challenge to overturn the results. A repeat election was held, but Imamoğlu, whose confidence and charisma resonated with voters, secured an even larger victory margin.

Similarly, in Ankara, the CHP's candidate Mansur Yavaş also triumphed over the incumbent AK Party candidate, marking another significant win for the opposition in Turkey's two largest cities.

The next four years saw tensions between CHP's local administrations and the AK Party-run central government that resulted in the opposition accusing the AK Party and Erdoğan of using the state's capacity to sabotage governance at the local level by withholding funds and implementing restrictive policies. Both Imamoğlu and Yavaş gained popularity among opposition voters and were seen as strong contenders against Erdoğan in the 2023 Presidential Elections. CHP's leader at the time, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu ran as a candidate instead, and Erdoğan secured another term.

In the 2024 local elections, CHP achieved historic gains, securing more votes than the AK Party for the first time and gaining control of many new districts and cities. The results provided CHP with a psychological boost and a significant political platform to enact policies aimed at winning over voters ahead of the next presidential elections. Additionally, the party gained access to extensive resources, including budgets and jobs to allocate at the local level. However, winning the elections turned out to be the easier challenge compared to the struggles that followed.

Replace the mayor

Even before the CHP's recent local election gains, the central government had an ongoing skepticism of local administrators, especially in cities with Kurdish-majority populations where pro-Kurdish parties won local elections. Following the 2016 coup attempt, then-Prime Minister Erdoğan assumed extraordinary powers, which were later institutionalized through constitutional changes. The practice of appointing "kayyum" (government trustees) to replace elected officials became a widespread measure in Turkey's southeast region. Since then, 160 mayors—primarily from pro-Kurdish parties—have been removed from office and replaced by government-appointed trustees.

As recently as last week, three mayors, all members of pro-Kurdish parties, were removed from office.

Reading recommendation: Pro-Kurdish mayors replaced: 'Peace process' not going so well | Aposto World

Sue the mayor

All the mayors replaced by the central government were accused of ties to terrorism. However, CHP's mayors are facing their share of legal challenges as well. One example is a case against Istanbul mayor Imamoğlu, where prosecutors are asking a jail sentence for reportedly calling election officials "fools". The lower courts have ruled against Imamoğlu in the case, and if the appeals process upholds the ruling, Imamoğlu could be removed from office.

A recent development exemplifies the recurring legal scrutiny faced by opposition mayors. Ankara Mayor Yavaş faced criticism on social media over the reported costs of city concerts featuring famous singers, with some characterizing the expenses as "extravagant." Yavaş announced an internal investigation in response. However, soon after the debate began, prosecutors filed charges against both Yavaş and İmamoğlu for "misuse of public funds." İmamoğlu responded to the development, saying he was "used to it."

Squeeze the mayor

CHP has argued that this is a politically motivated action, noting that these debts were not pursued when the AK Party controlled most municipalities, despite the debts being accrued during that period. If municipalities are forced to pay, they will struggle to fund essential local governance expenditures, such as city workers' wages and infrastructure maintenance.