Istanbul mayor arrested days before becoming Türkiye presidential candidate
Topic:World Politics
6m ago6 minutes agoWed 19 Mar 2025 at 2:52pm
A man wearing a suit and red tie giving a speech outside a courthouse.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been arrested by Turkish authorities, was set to become a presidential candidate in coming days. (Reuters: Dilara Senkaya)
In short:
Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been arrested by Turkish police on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate.
He was the main political rival to Türkiye's long-serving leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Opponents have accused Mr Erdogan of mounting a "coup" against Mr Imamoglu.
What's next?
Both France and Germany have expressed concerns about the future of Türkiye's democracy.
The main political rival of Türkiye's long-serving leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been arrested just days before he was due to become a presidential candidate.
Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained by Turkish police on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group in what the country's main opposition party on Wednesday called "a coup against our next president"
Mr Imamoglu, 54, who leads Mr Erdoğan in some opinion polls, was to be named his Republican People's Party's (CHP) official presidential candidate.
He faces two separate investigations that also include charges of leading a crime organisation, bribery and tender rigging.
A day earlier, Istanbul University invalidated Mr Imamoglu's diploma, effectively disqualifying him from the next presidential race. A university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.
Protesters on a street in Istanbul holding placards and chanting in support of the opposition figure Ekrem Imamoglu.
Protesters have gathered outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul. (AP: Francisco Seco)
The move against the two-term mayor caps a months-long legal crackdown on opposition figures across the country which has been criticised as a politicised attempt to hurt their electoral prospects.
State-run media outlet Anadolu Agency said prosecutors had also issued warrants for another 100 people, including Mr Imamoglu's close aide Murat Ongun.
Authorities also closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days in an apparent effort to prevent protests following the arrest.
There was also a 12 per cent plunge in the country's currency, the Lira, on Wednesday in the wake of the news.
A single woman holding a poster for Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a large police barricade.
Authorities have closed roads and banned protests in Istanbul for four days in a bid to prevent protests. (AP: Francisco Seco)
Government rejects 'coup' claims
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel urged opposition unity and said his party would still select Imamoglu as presidential candidate on Sunday.
"Türkiye is going through a coup against the next president. We are facing a coup attempt here," Mr Ozel said.
"Democracy was a train, and Tayyip Erdoğan only boarded it as long as it suited him. Now, he has stepped off that train and joined the ranks of the coup plotters."
In a video posted on social media as he prepared to leave his home for detention on Wednesday morning, Mr Imamoglu said he would not give up and would withstand the pressure.
Government officials have insisted that the courts operate independently and reject claims that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated.
Türkiye's justice minister Yilmaz Tunc dismissed allegations the president had been attempting to stifle political opposition.
"Linking investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our president is, at best, presumptuous and inappropriate," he said.
Mr Erdoğan has led the country in some form for 22 years, but is currently term-limited as president.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in a suit, speaks at a lectern during a business summit.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has been accused of trying to crack down on political opposition. (Reuters: Hasnoor Hussain)
International community says arrests 'a serious setback for democracy'
The next election is set for 2028 but Mr Erdoğan can run again if he calls an election before his term ends, or changes the constitution.
The Council of Europe on Wednesday joined criticism of Mr Imamoglu's arrest, saying it "strongly condemned" the decision and that it "bares all the hallmarks of the pressure on a political figure".
France Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said the arrest was likely to have serious consequences on Turkish democracy.
"We learned with deep concern this morning of the arrest of the opposition mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with many other prominent figures," he said.
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer described the arrests them as "a serious setback for democracy".
Reuters/AP
Posted6m ago6 minutes agoWed 19 Mar 2025 at 2:52pm
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