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Türkiye’s main opposition leader, Ozgur Ozel, condemned the arrest of Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Bocek, calling it a political punishment against the opposition and the country at large.
"This is not just a blow to the Republican People's Party (CHP), but a punishment to Antalya, its people, its businesses, its tourism sector—to Türkiye itself," Ozel said during a press conference following a meeting with Umit Ozdag, leader of the nationalist Victory Party.
Bocek, a senior member of the opposition's CHP, was detained earlier this week in connection with an ongoing corruption investigation. Ozel claimed the arrest was motivated by political revenge, noting Bocek had won the city for the CHP in back-to-back elections.
"They have gone mad because they could not win Antalya. This is part of a broader assault on CHP and our mayors," Ozel said.
"Our friends are political prisoners, taken hostage in a coup attempt against Ataturk's party."
He also talked about ongoing legal scrutiny against other opposition mayors, including Zeydan Karalar of Adana and Abdurrahman Tutdere of Adiyaman, calling the prosecution part of a systematic attack.
Victory Party chairman Umit Ozdag said he shared his concerns with Ozel over what he described as "enemy criminal law" being applied to opposition figures.
He also reiterated his party’s stance on the importance of restoring Article 10 of the constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.
Ozdag added that his party had refrained from joining a recent CHP rally in Istanbul due to concerns over possible provocations.
"A provocation did take place, but thankfully it was quickly defused," he said, noting that he had previously advised his party’s local branches to avoid the event for this reason.
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