Turkey’s Interior Ministry has launched twin criminal probes against two leading lights of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), namely Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavasoglu.

In an interview with the pro-secular opposition Sozcu newspaper, Imamoglu revealed how the investigations—probing the mayors’ respective fundraising campaigns aimed at raising financial resources to help contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in their municipalities—started a week ago. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed disapproval on hearing of Imamoglu’s campaign, dubiously claiming that all such efforts must be initiated by the presidency or would be designated illegal. Shortly after, Erdogan, whom analysts see as possibly facing a challenge from Imamoglu in the next presidential election, launched his own fundraising effort entitled National Solidarity Campaign.

“Most probably inspectors will be dispatched to other mayors who are running campaigns as well. I am not alone,” Imamoglu told the daily.

In a March 31 decree, the interior minister said that municipalities and other bodies were allowed to collect donations only if authorised by the local governor’s office.

Vakifbank account frozen

Imamoglu, elected in spring elections last year in a shock victory over the Erdogan-backed AKP ruling party candidate (the vote was actually followed by a revote demanded by AKP figures including party leader Erdogan, which Imamoglu won handsomely, confirming he was the voters’ clear choice), has complained that state-run Vakifbank has frozen the Istanbul municipality’s account, where some Turkish lira (TRY) 900mn ($130mn), in raised funds had been deposited. Donations made to the Istanbul municipality via privately owned banks were reportedly continuing. Imamoglu called the Vakifbank move “pathetic”, saying the lender had acted out of fear. “It’s a dark stain on the banking system,” Imamoglu said.

Yavas confirmed in a separate interview with Deutsche Welle Turkiye that he was the object of a similar probe. 

By the end of April 17, according to officially reported infections Turkey had the ninth worst COVID-19 outbreak in the world, and looked likely to take eighth position from Iran within a day or two. Ankara had reported 78,546 infections and the deaths of 1,769 people who had been diagnosed coronavirus-positive. Many experts think the actual picture is a whole lot worse, with one Harvard academic remarking in late March that the situation with the pandemic in Turkey was “out of control”.

Erdogan’s National Solidarity Campaign has raised at least $245mn. A list of donors published by the pro-government Hurriyet daily on April 16 included several Turkish conglomerates. Kalyon Holding and Limak Holding, which have won multi-billion-dollar construction deals from the Erdogan government, donated $1.8mn and $1.5mn, respectively.

“The investigations are a further manifestation of existing pressure on local government,” Sinem Adar, an associate at the Center for Applied Turkey Studies, told Al-Monitor, pointing to the mass dismissal of opposition mayors in the mainly Kurdish southeast region of Turkey who have been replaced with government appointees.

Al-Monitor contributor Mahmut Bozarslan recently reported that only 19 of the 59 mayoral offices won by the Kurds in the municipal elections last year remain in Kurdish hands.

On April 10, according to local reports, the interior ministry blocked the bank accounts of soup kitchens run by the municipality of Eskisehir, long a CHP stronghold.