Europe

Istanbul mayor arrested ahead of selection to run against Erdogan

The main rival to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been formally arrested and charged with corruption.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of the Turkish city of Istanbul, is expected to be selected as the opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 2028 presidential candidate in a ballot on Sunday.

He denies the allegations and says they are politically motivated. “I will never bow”, he was quoted as saying after being remanded in custody pending trial.

His detention has sparked off some of the largest protests in more than a decade. Erdogan has condemned the demonstrations and accused the CHP of trying to “disturb the peace and polarise our people”.

Imamoglu was one of more than 100 people, including other politicians, journalists and businessmen, detained as part of an investigation on Wednesday.

On Sunday, he was formally arrested and charged with “establishing and managing a criminal organisation, taking bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data and rigging a tender”.

Prosecutors want to charge him with “aiding an armed terrorist organisation”, but the Turkish court said it was “not deemed necessary at this stage” to do so.

The CHP had a de facto alliance with the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in connection with last year’s local elections.

DEM has been accused of being affiliated with the PKK – or Kurdistan Workers’ Party – which it denies. The PKK declared a ceasefire early this month, after waging an insurgency against Turkey for more than 40 years. It is proscribed as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and US.

Imamoglu is seen as one of Erdogan’s most formidable political rivals. He is the only person running in the CHP’s presidential candidate selection.

The arrest does not prevent his candidacy and election as president. However, if he is convicted of any of the charges against him he would not be able to run.

A day before his arrest, Istanbul University announced it was revoking Imamoglu’s degree due to alleged irregularities, a measure – which if upheld – would put his ability to run as president into doubt.

According to the Turkish constitution, presidents must have completed higher education to hold office.

Imamoglu’s lawyers said they would appeal the decision to revoke his degree to the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

The Supreme Election Council will decide whether Imamoglu is qualified to be a candidate.

Erdogan has held office for the past 22 years, as both prime minister and president of Turkey. However, due to term limits, he cannot run for office again in 2028 unless he changes the constitution.

Opposition figures say the arrests are politically motivated. But the Ministry of Justice has criticised those who link Erdogan to the arrests, and insist on its judicial independence.

Getty Images A demonstrator face-off with police during clashes with protesters in front of Istanbul's famous Aquaduct after a protest march in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.Getty Images

Who is Turkish opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu?

Protests erupt in Turkey after Erdogan rival arrested

Hundreds arrested in third night of Turkey protests

Thousands have taken to the streets across Turkey in largely peaceful demonstrations.

Authorities tried to stifle demonstrations with a four-day ban on all gatherings in Istanbul, which was extended to Ankara and Izmir as the protests spread.

Riot police have repeatedly clashed with protesters and could be seen firing pepper gas and water cannons towards crowds of demonstrators.

Turkish authorities said 343 people were arrested on Friday night.

On Saturday, tear gas hung in the air outside the mayor’s office in Istanbul before the protests had even properly begun.

As the crowds had grown throughout the evening, it became hard to breathe as round after round was fired to disperse demonstrators.

Chanting “rights, law, justice”, people of all ages defied the government ban to protest against what they see as an unlawful detention.

One young woman, dressed in black and wearing a face mask, told the BBC she was not protesting for political reasons or because she supported the opposition, but instead to defend democracy.

“I’m here for justice, I’m here for liberty. We’re free people and Turkish people cannot accept this. This is against our behaviour and culture.”

Another woman, who had brought her 11-year-old son to the protests, said she wanted to include him because she is worried about his future.

“It’s getting harder to live in Turkey day by day, we can’t control our lives, we can’t choose who we want and there is no real justice here,” she said.

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

Related Articles

Back to top button