Istanbul mayor and Erdogan presidential rival arrested

The Turkish authorities held the mayor of Istanbul, just a few days before he was selected as presidential candidate.

Ekrem Imamoglu, from the Laïque Republican Popular Party (CHP), is considered one of the strongest political rivals of Turkish President Rece Tayip Erdogan.

Prosecutors accused him of corruption and aid to a terrorist group, calling him “suspicious criminal leader”.

Police have held 100 people – including other politicians, journalists and businessmen – as part of the investigation, and the Governor’s office of Istanbul imposed four days of restrictions in the city.

Imamoglu declared online “the will of the people cannot be reduced to silence”.

In a video on social networks, he has sworn to “solve” for the people of Turkey “and all those who support democracy and justice in the world”.

“I am firm in my fight for fundamental rights and freedoms,” added Imamoglu.

Demonstrations broke out in turquie streets, university campuses and underground stations, with crowds singing anti-government slogans. It is a demonstration of public anger that we do not see over the years.

The clashes have been reported between demonstrators and the police in the largest city in Türkiye. Images of the Reuters news agency show that the police using spray pepper pastilles to disperse crowds outside the University of Istanbul.

The government has prohibited public rallies in Istanbul in the four days of restrictions. But more demonstrations are anticipated at the national level as opposition leaders, including the woman of Imamoglu, urges people to “raise their voice”.

Many streets of Istanbul have also been closed to traffic, while certain metro lines have also canceled their services.

According to Wednesday, the Internet Dog based in the United Kingdom said on Wednesday Turkey had severely limited access to social media sites like X, Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok.

The arrest is part of a major repression on a national level in recent months, targeting opposition politicians, municipalities, journalists and personalities from the entertainment industry.

After the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, the concerns concerning the transition from Turkey to autocracy were expressed on social networks, some calling for an opposition boycott of the next presidential elections, arguing that a just and democratic vote is no longer possible.

The Party of Imamoglu, the CHP, even condemned arrests as “a coup against our next president”, a feeling widely resolved by proposal votes.

But the Minister of Justice of Turkey criticized those who linked Erdogan to the arrests.

Yilmaz Tunc said he was “extremely dangerous and bad” to suggest that it was a political decision, insisting that no one was above the law in Türkiye.

Erdogan and his party also denied complaints, insisting that Turkey’s judicial power is independent. It has been in power for 22 years.

Last year, Imamoglu won a second term As mayor of Istanbul, when his CHP party swept the local elections there and Ankara.

It was the first time that Erdogan has come to power that his party has been defeated across the country during the polls.

The elections were also a personal blow for the president, who grew up and became mayor of Istanbul in power.

Dozens of police officers were involved in the raid early in the morning on the house of Imamoglu in the largest city in Türkiye.

The selection of CHP presidential candidates, in which Imamoglu is the only person who presents himself, should take place on Sunday.

The arrest of Imamoglu occurred one day after the University of Istanbul canceled its diploma due to alleged irregularities – a decision which, if it was maintained, would prevent it from presenting itself to the presidential elections.

According to the Turkish Constitution, the presidents must have completed higher education to occupy functions.

Imamoglu called this movement “legally baseless”, adding that universities “must remain independent, free from political interference and dedicated to knowledge”.

The presidential elections are currently planned for 2028. Erdogan cannot appear again to his functions, because he is in his second term and previously been Prime Minister before that.

The only way Erdogan could challenge another election would be to change the Constitution or to call a first election before the end of his mandate.

In addition to being accused of extortion and fraud, Imamoglu would also have helped the PKK.

The PKK – or the Kurdistan workers’ party – has led an insurrection since 1984 and has been interrupted as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Earlier this month, the group announced its decision To lengthen his armsFollowing a call from his imprisoned leader, who had embarked on interviews with Turkish officials.

The international reaction to arrests was negative. The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the arrest was one of the “intensified legal measures” designed to exert pressure on imamoglu, while the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “deeply concerned” by arrests, which could have “strong consequences on Turkish democracy”.

The Turkish LIRA, on the other hand, crushed a hollow of all time against the US dollar, while the markets reacted badly to political uncertainty.

While many have been shocked to wake up the news from the arrest of Imamoglu, the legal pressure on the chief of the popular opposition is far from new.

He faced several surveys and was handed over a political ban In December 2022, on allegations of insults on the Turkey Electoral Council in 2019 – a verdict he appealed, the final decision still pending.

In addition, he was the subject of cases linked to allegedly tender irregularities during his mandate as mayor of the Beylikduzu district of Istanbul.

More recently, on January 20, a new case was filed against him for his criticisms of a prosecutor.