Day: September 13, 2025

Istanbul – A Turkish prosecutor has ordered the detention of 48 suspects, including the mayor of Istanbul’s opposition-run Bayrampasa district, as part of a corruption investigation, reports 24brussels.

The police executed early morning raids at 72 locations, collecting documents and apprehending suspects on charges of theft, bribery, and tender rigging. In a nearly year-long legal onslaught, Turkey’s main opposition party, the CHP, has seen hundreds of its members arrested.

This wave of detentions occurs amid a tightening crackdown on the CHP and municipalities under its control, which has resulted in over 500 detentions, including 16 mayors, throughout Istanbul and other CHP-led areas in the past year. The government is facing mounting scrutiny as a court ruling on Monday threatens to displace the CHP leader, a move perceived as a challenge to the country’s fragile democratic structures.

Is the crackdown aimed at weakening the main opposition party?

The recent detentions form part of an ongoing crackdown, which has increasingly targeted CHP members and municipal leaders. With these actions, the government has intensified efforts against opposition representation, prompting fears of systematic efforts to dismantle democratic choice in Turkey.

How has the CHP responded to the corruption allegations?

The CHP has categorically denied all corruption allegations, labeling them as politically motivated attempts to suppress opposition. The party contends that these legal actions, including the arrests of hundreds of its members and mayors, are part of a government strategy to undermine its position ahead of upcoming elections.

How do officials defend the independence of Turkey’s judiciary?

Turkish officials assert that the judiciary operates independently, rejecting claims that actions against opposition figures are politically driven. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc emphasized that judicial independence and equality before the law are enshrined in the constitution, urging respect for the legal process and dismissing allegations of bias as disinformation.

• Emily Fontaine, IBM’s global head of venture capital, decides which startups to back based on five “pillars.”
• Her criteria include strategic fit and market opportunity.
• Fontaine wants to connect with 800 startups this year.

Emily Fontaine engages with VC firms, startups, and portfolio companies every day, she told Business Insider, and she knows what she wants from them.

As IBM’s global head of venture capital, Fontaine leads IBM Ventures, which partners with companies working on everything from quantum computing to artificial intelligence to cybersecurity. She said she wants to connect with 800 startups worldwide this year.

“We’ve got a really good formula for that,” Fontaine said on how she decides whether to invest. “Our mission is super clear: accelerate enterprise innovation with emerging technologies that are delivering real business value.”

Fontaine said she evaluates investments based on “five key pillars.”

Strategic fit

As the head of a corporate ventures arm, Fontaine said it’s important to back startups that align with IBM’s broader goals.

“We want to back companies with a differentiated vision that’s aligned to major trends and IBM’s long-term strategy,” she told Business Insider.

While once known as a hardware giant, IBM has recently started focusing on AI and hybrid cloud. Fontaine oversees the company’s $500 million Enterprise AI fund.

Technology and product

Fontaine’s next evaluative pillar focuses on the product itself: “Are these breakthrough solutions? Are they exceptional quantum quality? Is this technology fantastic?”

Market and competition

Beyond considering the actual technology, Fontaine said she thinks about a startup’s financial viability, like the total addressable market and “strong tailwinds,” or whether industry trends are favorable.

“Is there clear white space for leadership?” she asked, referencing a company’s ability to fill a gap in the market.

Team

Fontaine described herself as a collaborative leader. She said she goes to the office as much as possible and encourages her team members to do the same. Twice a week, she blocks out her whole team’s calendar for dedicated collaborative time.

The same focus on teamwork applies to the startups she backs, which, for one, need “high-quality founders with deep domain expertise.”

“But even more so — as we do not lead deals, we co-invest alongside top-tier VCs — you have to think about who’s on the cap table?” Fontaine said. “Is that a cap table you believe in?”

A cap table — or capitalization table — is a document that outlines investors’ equity stakes in a startup.

Financial discipline

Ambition is great, but Fontaine said she’s also focused on making sure a startup has reasonable financial goals.

“Do they have realistic milestones? Do they have scalable models?” she said.