Turkey detains Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s key rival
“Detention orders were issued for 100 suspects, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, for various crimes,” the state-run Anadolu Agency said, citing a statement from the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office.
Among the charges is “aiding” the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Anadolu added, and the mayor of Istanbul’s affluent Sisli district, also from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was also detained.
The statement also accused Imamoglu of “being the leader of an organized crime organization, usurpation, bribery, qualified fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data, and rigging a tender.”
More than 100 suspects were detained in the operation.
In a post, Imamoglu stressed that he would stand against the decision.
The will of the people cannot be silenced through intimidation or unlawful acts. 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. I stand firm in my… pic.twitter.com/bVb0HfYZnj
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (International) (@imamoglu_int) March 19, 2025
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) condemned the detention of Imamoglu as a “clear attack on democracy and the will of the people.”
“We reject this unlawfulness committed against the will of the people and condemn it in the strongest terms,” DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan said on X. “We demand the immediate release of Ekrem Imamoglu and everyone else who has been detained.”
Imamoglu’s potential presidential candidacy took a heavy hit on Tuesday when a Turkish university revoked his university diploma, citing irregularities. If the decision is ratified, Imamoglu could be blocked from running in the 2028 presidential vote.
He is widely regarded as the country’s most popular opposition politician and the greatest threat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s position.
Last updated at 8:58 am