Turkey: Mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan's main opponent, arrested

On Wednesday, Turkish authorities arrested Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on charges of "corruption," "terrorism" and "aiding the PKK," the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.

In addition, six of Imamoglu's collaborators and party colleagues were also arrested in the same operation.

According to AFP, which compiled the information transmitted by the public news agency Anadolu, Imamoglu and the rest of those arrested were immediately transferred to police headquarters.

"Hundreds of policemen arrived at my door. I trust my nation," Imamoglu said via a video he posted on social media shortly before he was arrested in Istanbul. "The will of the people is being beaten."

The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office issued a statement in which it explained the reasons that led to the arrest of Imamoglu and six of his collaborators. Apart from corruption charges, the Istanbul mayor is accused of "extortion" and "leading a criminal organization for profit."

His arrest comes just days before Imamoglu is expected to be nominated as the candidate of his party, the CHP (RPP in English), for the next presidential elections, to be held in 2028. He is the party's sole contender.

"It is a coup against the opposition"

Moments after the arrest of Imamoglu and his collaborators became known, thousands of his supporters took to the streets to protest against this procedure and against Erdogan's government and show their support for the mayor of Istanbul.

Security forces closed Taksim Square, an emblematic place in the city where most of the demonstrations usually concentrate. As a result, Imamoglu's supporters had to move to other thoroughfares to protest the arrest.

"We are in a dictatorship," Kuzey, one of the attendees, said in statements picked up by AFP. "This guy and his dirty gang hate us. As soon as they have to deal with someone strong, they do something illegal," he added, referring to Erdogan.

"What happened this morning is nothing less than a coup against the main opposition party, with far-reaching consequences for the country's political future. This decision pushes Turkey further down the path of autocracy, following the example of Venezuela, Russia and Belarus," said Berk Esen, a political scientist at Istanbul's Sabanci University and an opponent of the Turkish president.

Who also spoke out was the wife of the mayor of Istanbul, Dilek Imamoglu, who detailed how the arrest went. "The policemen arrived just after zahora [the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan]. Ekrem started getting ready and they questioned him. They left the house at around 7:30 a.m.," she explained on private broadcaster NTV.

Turkish authorities have been tracking Imamoglu for years. In 2023, before the presidential elections were held, Justice prevented the mayor from running in the primaries of his party because he had a suspended sentence for "insults" to the heads of the electoral committee. A few days ago, the University of Istanbul annulled his diploma, which is necessary for a citizen to be able to run in the elections.