There was a sense of déjà vu in Turkey. After the publication of a political cartoon, which Turkish authorities said depicted the Prophet Muhammad, led to the arrest of four journalists on Monday, June 30, in Istanbul, authorities carried out a large-scale sweep in Izmir at dawn on Tuesday, July 1. Izmir, the country's third-largest city, is a bastion of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party. 109 municipal officials affiliated with the CHP were arrested. The operation strongly recalled the events of March 19, when, at dawn, the CHP mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main opponent – was taken into custody along with 104 elected officials, associates and staff members.

With their hands cuffed behind their backs, the suspects were taken into custody by law enforcement officers. Scenes like these unfolded throughout Izmir, affecting everyone from top local leaders to municipal employees. All faced charges of corruption and misconduct. Among those newly detained were Tunç Soyer, former mayor of Izmir's metropolitan municipality (2019-2024), several former officials and the current provincial president of the CHP, Senol Aslanoglu.

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