Turkey detains actor-turned-mayor in opposition crackdown

Police detained Erdal Besikcioglu, a former TV actor turned mayor of Etimesgut, in a corruption investigation involving municipal tenders. The probe encompasses 42 officials and 13 companies across nine provinces. Besikcioglu, an opposition CHP member, is the latest target in a crackdown on opposition-run municipalities that has also seen Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu arrested. The government asserts judicial independence.