Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on charges including corruption and alleged ties to terrorism.
On Wednesday, thousands protested in Istanbul against the detention of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu, a leading figure in the opposition CHP party, was among approximately 100 individuals detained earlier in the day. The charges against him included corruption and alleged links to the PKK, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization. His arrest occurred just before his expected nomination as the CHP’s presidential candidate for the 2028 election.
Following Imamoglu’s arrest, Turkish authorities imposed a four-day ban on demonstrations, closed roads in Istanbul, and restricted access to social media.
Despite these measures, large crowds gathered outside locations such as Istanbul’s police headquarters, City Hall, and the CHP’s main office to protest.
Bu Millet Büyüktür!
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu)
Protesters waved Turkish flags and held portraits of Imamoglu, chanting anti-government slogans and demanding his release.
One protester told Reuters that they were there to support the mayor, who they believed was unjustly arrested. Another told AFP that they felt they were living in a dictatorship.
🚨Turkey: Convoys protesting against Erdogan in Istanbul.
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13)
Reports indicated minor clashes between protesters and riot police. Reuters published a video showing police using pepper spray to disperse a crowd outside Istanbul University.
Before his arrest, Imamoglu posted on X, stating that intimidation and unlawful acts would not silence the people’s will and that he would continue to fight for fundamental rights and freedoms.
İstanbul Üniversitesi’ndeki yürüyüşte öğrenci seli polis barikatını böyle aştı!
— BirGün Gazetesi (@BirGun_Gazetesi)
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel described the mayor’s detention as a “coup” during a press conference, accusing Erdogan of fearing defeat by Imamoglu in the election.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc later stated that Ozel’s comments were “extremely dangerous and incorrect.”
The minister insisted that the country’s justice system is “impartial and independent” and that “linking investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our president is, at best, presumptuous and inappropriate.”
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