Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu speaks during a rally on Oct. 31, 2024. (Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)
Prosecutors in Turkey have ordered the detention of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, a high-profile member of the opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state-run media reported on Wednesday.
In a social media statement, Imamoglu said that “the will of the people cannot be silenced through intimidation or unlawful acts.”
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“I stand resolute, entrusting myself not only to the 16 million residents of Istanbul but to the 86 million citizens of Türkiye and all who uphold democracy and justice worldwide,” he said.
Imamoglu was first elected mayor of Turkey’s most populous city in 2019 and was reelected last year.