Turkey arrests opposition mayor accused of being a member of PKK

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish court on Thursday ordered the arrest of a mayor from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over alleged militant ties.

A deputy governor of Istanbul has replaced Ahmet Ozer as CHP mayor of Istanbul’s immigrant-heavy Esenyurt district after he was accused on Wednesday by the chief prosecutor’s office of being a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Ozer denies the terrorism-related claims, while his party said it would defend him against the “unfounded allegations”.

President Tayyip Erdogan’s government runs the governor’s office while the CHP runs the municipality.

The court order comes days after the PKK claimed responsibility for last week’s attack on Turkish defence company TUSAS that killed five people in Ankara.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said the arrest was based on “abstract allegations” and was intended to harm the will of the people.

“We will undoubtedly…defeat this vile mind that does not recognise the nation and does not respect the people’s choices, and will thwart this disgusting plan,” Ozel said in a post on X.

The CHP’s central executive committee will meet on Thursday at CHP Esenyurt headquarters, and Ozel has called on residents to gather around Esenyurt municipality to protest against the decision.

The PKK has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey for four decades, with more than 40,000 people killed in the conflict. It is designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies.

(Reporting by Burcu Karakas; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)