Turkey detains another opposition mayor in sustained crackdown

ANKARA, July 30 - 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. REUTERS