The Turkish Interior Ministry has suspended Antalya’s mayor Muhitin Boçek, who belongs to the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the largest opposition party.

The ministry announced late Monday night via X that Bocek was suspended due to his arrest as part of an ongoing corruption investigation. Bocek and two other CHP mayors were arrested on Saturday.

The CHP, which is under increasing pressure from judges, now has 15 of its mayors in custody, including popular Constantinople mayor and former presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu, who has also been removed from office.

The opposition believes these arrests are politically motivated.

The CHP emerged as the strongest party in last year’s local elections, which was seen as a rebuke to President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey’s judiciary has long been criticized for bias and being used to target opposition politicians. The government denies this and insists the judiciary acts independently.