Istanbul
CNN
—
Turkish authorities have detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of corruption and terror investigations, according to state broadcaster TRT, citing the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office.
Detention orders have also been issued for around 100 others connected to the mayor, including his press adviser Murat Ongun, according to state-run news agency Anadolu Agency.
The move Wednesday comes just days before the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is scheduled to hold a primary election, where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen as its presidential candidate.
Live video from CNN Turk showed police wearing riot gear and dozens of security vehicles outside Imamoglu’s home.
“I am saddened to say, a handful of people who are trying to steal the will of the people, have sent the dear police, the security forces implicating them in this wrongful doing,” Imamoglu said in a video posted to X on Wednesday.
“Hundreds of police officers have been sent to the door my house — the house of the 16 million people of Istanbul.”
Critics denounced the detentions as political and part of an ongoing government crackdown on the opposition following Erdogan’s major defeat in local and mayoral elections last year.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel described the move as “a coup attempt against our next president.”
“Making decisions on behalf of the people, using force to replace the will of the people or to obstruct it is a coup. There is currently a force in place to prevent the nation from determining the next president,” Ozel said in a post on X.
Following Imamoglu’s detention, Istanbul’s governorship suspended the right to demonstrate in the city until March 23 “to maintain public order.” Some metro stops and roads in downtown Istanbul have been closed, it added.
According to internet watchdog NetBlocks, access to X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok has been restricted in the country.
Imamoglu and around 100 others linked to him are accused of being members of a criminal organization, extortion, bribery and aggravated fraud, according to a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Andadolu reported.
Imamoglu is also under investigation for allegedly aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which Turkey considers to be terrorist organizations, Anadolu said, citing the prosecutor’s office.
The move to detain the mayor of Turkey’s largest and most populous city, a key political battleground, comes after Istanbul University said on Tuesday it had annulled Imamoglu’s degree over irregularities, dealing a blow to the opposition and dashing the mayor’s presidential ambitions.
Without a university degree, Imamoglu would be disqualified from running for president.
Imamoglu said the university’s decision was illegal and outside its jurisdiction, and that he would launch a legal challenge. “The decision of the Istanbul University Board of Directors is UNLAWFUL” he said. “The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near.”
Imamoglu was elected mayor in 2019 and again in 2024. The next presidential vote is scheduled for 2028, but some analysts say Erdogan could call for early elections which would allow him to bypass term limits.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
