CHP's Ankara head jailed in İzmir corruption case

ANKARA

The provincial head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara was jailed on April 12 in connection with a corruption investigation in the western city of İzmir, prompting strong political backlash.

Ümit Erkol was detained on April 9 as part of an ongoing probe in connection with cooperative structures linked to municipal activities in İzmir. On April 12, he and eight others were arrested by a criminal court of peace on charges including embezzlement and forging official documents, according to the case file.

Prosecutors allege wrongdoing, a case that has expanded over several years and involves dozens of suspects.

The opposition strongly condemned the ruling. CHP leader Özgür Özel said the arrest marked “another dark day in which justice is being ignored,” arguing that Erkol had no signing authority in the cooperative and was targeted because of his party affiliation.

“This decision is independent of the attacks against our party,” Özel said in a social media post.

CHP's Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş also criticized the arrest, saying there was no flight risk or possibility of evidence tampering, adding that “if a detention order is issued despite this, then we cannot speak of justice.”

Following the arrest, CHP supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters before attempting to march toward the Justice Ministry. Police intervened with tear gas, dispersing the crowd.

In a joint statement, provincial CHP chairs said the long-running cooperative case had failed to produce substantiated findings after more than three years of investigations and trials. They described Erkol’s arrest as part of a broader pattern of political targeting through the judiciary.

The İzmir investigation has involved multiple senior CHP figures, including former İzmir Mayor Tunç Soyer, İzmir head Şenol Aslanoğlu and former municipal executives among 157 suspects.

Several defendants were initially arrested on corruption allegations, though some were later released. Court proceedings are ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for June 17.