Turkish authorities have arrested five further suspects as part of corruption investigations into the opposition-led Istanbul city administration.
They are accused of accepting bribes and money laundering, the state news agency Anadolu reported on Tuesday, citing the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office.
Among those arrested are the former deputy district mayor of the Beşiktaş district and the head of the municipality’s human resources department.
On Monday, 57 suspects were arrested during a raid on a subsidiary of the Istanbul city government. They face charges relating to the rigging of tenders for contracts.
The arrests are part of a series of similar measures against local councils led by the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party or CHP. In March last year, the arrest and removal from office of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, sparked nationwide protests. He is currently on trial over corruption allegations.
İmamoğlu is regarded as the strongest rival to long-standing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The CHP party believes the proceedings are politically motivated and accuses the government of seeking to prevent İmamoğlu from standing as a presidential candidate in 2028. The government denies this.
