The arrest took place on the morning of 19 March in a dawn raid at his home in Beylikduzu. Plainclothes officers from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, accompanied by counter-terrorism units, detained the mayor and seized multiple electronic devices and documents from his residence and office.
According to the indictment, Imamoglu is alleged to have facilitated municipal contracts to companies linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Authorities also claim he laundered public funds through shell companies during his tenure as mayor.
Imamoglu has denied all allegations. His legal team described the charges as “fabricated and legally unsound”. During interrogation, the mayor reportedly refused to answer questions related to political affiliations, citing constitutional protections.
The formal charges were confirmed on Sunday morning. Just hours earlier, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) had been expected to confirm Imamoglu as its sole candidate in an internal presidential nomination vote. The party postponed the meeting indefinitely.
CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel called the charges “a judicial coup against democratic will” in a statement to reporters outside party headquarters in Ankara. “This is not only about one man, but the right of every citizen to choose their leaders,” he said.
Protests have continued across major Turkish cities for a fifth consecutive night. In Istanbul, demonstrators gathered in Taksim Square despite a police ban on public assemblies. Authorities closed key metro stations and blocked access to social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Protesters clash with Turkish anti riot police using tear gas and water cannons during a demonstration following the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, in Ankara on March 22, 2025. Imamoglu, who is the chief rival of Turkey's President, was arrested on March 19, 2025, days before he was to be formally named the main opposition CHP's candidate for the 2028 presidential race. Riot police have since then clashed repeatedly with the protesters, deploying tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon against them in Istanbul, the capital Ankara and the western coastal city of Izmir. LEHTIKUVA / AFP
Since Thursday, police have detained more than 670 people during demonstrations, according to the Ministry of Interior. The Human Rights Association of Turkey reported the use of excessive force in at least 14 separate incidents. Amnesty International issued a statement urging Turkish authorities to allow peaceful protest and due process.
In Ankara, water cannons were deployed outside Kizilay metro station as hundreds attempted to march towards the Grand National Assembly. In Izmir, riot police dispersed a sit-in protest using pepper spray. Smaller rallies were reported in Diyarbakir, Bursa, Antalya, and Gaziantep.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office has extended a city-wide ban on public demonstrations until 25 March. Police checkpoints have been set up near municipal buildings, and several roads remain closed.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the situation during a speech in Sakarya on Saturday. “Those who try to bring chaos to our streets will face the full force of the law,” he said. “The opposition is trying to divide this nation and discredit its institutions.”
He did not comment directly on the charges against Imamoglu, but defended the independence of the judiciary. “The courts decide, not the politicians,” he said.
The Ministry of Justice also released a statement rejecting claims of political interference. “All judicial procedures are carried out in accordance with constitutional and legal norms,” it read.
The arrest of Imamoglu has drawn international criticism. The European Commission said it was “closely monitoring the legal proceedings”. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged Ankara to “respect legal transparency and political freedoms”. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the case “raises serious questions about the impartiality of Turkish institutions”.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, said on Sunday that her office would request access to court documents and trial proceedings. “We are concerned about the timing, process, and scope of the charges,” she said.
The case also threatens to deepen tensions within Turkey’s opposition. Leaders of the Nation Alliance, a coalition of six opposition parties, held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss a response. A joint statement is expected in the coming days.
According to Article 101 of the Turkish Constitution, presidential candidates must be Turkish citizens over the age of 40 and hold a university degree. On 18 March, one day before his arrest, Istanbul University announced it had annulled Imamoglu’s degree, citing alleged irregularities in student records. His legal team has filed an appeal.
If the annulment is upheld, Imamoglu would be constitutionally ineligible to run for president. The Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) has not commented on the matter.
The CHP won control of Istanbul in 2019, ending 25 years of dominance by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its allies. Imamoglu’s victory was seen as a major political setback for Erdogan. In the 2019 mayoral rerun election, Imamoglu secured over 54 percent of the vote.
Since then, he has emerged as the most popular opposition figure in national polls. A November 2024 survey by Istanbul-based Metropoll found that Imamoglu had a 52 percent approval rating, compared to Erdogan's 42 percent.
In 2022, Imamoglu was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison for allegedly insulting electoral officials. That sentence is currently under appeal and has not yet been enforced.
The next general election is scheduled for June 2028. Under current law, Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, cannot seek another term unless parliament calls early elections or passes constitutional amendments.
The Turkish Parliament is not scheduled to sit until 1 April. No formal proposal for constitutional reform has yet been submitted.
Legal experts say the trial process could take months. A preliminary hearing is expected in April. Defense lawyers have requested that Imamoglu be released pending trial, but no decision has yet been issued.
As of Sunday evening, Imamoglu remains in custody at Silivri Prison, west of Istanbul. His legal team has submitted two appeals, one challenging the arrest order and another seeking to dismiss the charges.
The CHP has called for a national day of protest on Monday. Police in Istanbul have warned that all unauthorised gatherings will be dispersed.
HT