Turkish govt expands probe targeting Istanbul city staff

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish court has accepted an indictment against suspects from a religious association in a case that could have political and legal repercussions on the opposition-held Istanbul municipality. The trial against 23 people for purported links to outlawed Kurdish militants will begin on Feb. 18. Nine of the defendants are in pre-trial detention and some are said to work for the Istanbul municipality. An Interior Ministry probe was also recently launched against hundreds of municipal workers in Istanbul on terrorism suspicions. The moves together have prompted worries that the government could be laying the groundwork for targeting the popular Istanbul mayor, who is seen as a possible challenger to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in elections scheduled for 2023.