On Wednesday (March 19), the Turkish authorities detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Erdogan’s main political opponent, on charges of corruption and aiding terrorist organizations. This move was denounced by the main opposition party as a “coup against our next president.”
Imamoglu, 54, who leads in some opinion polls ahead of Erdogan, is facing two separate investigations and has been accused of leading criminal organizations, bribery, and bid rigging.
Critics view Imamoglu’s detention as a politically motivated legal action by the Turkish authorities aimed at undermining his rival’s election prospects.
In a video posted on social media, the two-term Istanbul mayor stated that he will not give up and will continue to face challenges.
The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is preparing to officially nominate Imamoglu as a challenger for Erdogan’s presidential position in the coming days.
The next Turkish general election is scheduled for 2028. As Erdogan has already been re-elected twice before this presidential term, reaching the constitutional limit, in order to run again, he must hold early elections before the end of his current term or amend the constitution.
In last year’s nationwide local elections, Erdogan suffered his worst electoral defeat. Imamoglu’s CHP achieved overwhelming victories in major Turkish cities, even in AKP strongholds.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel called the detention an attempted coup and urged the opposition to unite. He stated that Imamoglu will be elected as the party’s presidential candidate this Sunday.
“Turkey is undergoing a coup aimed at toppling the next president,” Ozel said. “What we are facing is an attempted coup.”
Human Rights Watch called for Imamoglu’s immediate release, stating that the charges against him are false and politically motivated.
In a statement, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office revealed that the first investigation results showed that 100 people, including journalists and businessmen, were involved in criminal activities related to municipal government tenders.
The statement also mentioned that the second investigation accused Imamoglu and six others of aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
Last month, PKK declared a ceasefire in response to calls by imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan to lay down arms.
The Turkish authorities are actively working towards ending the PKK’s decades-long insurgency, which could be a significant step towards regional peace, impacting the region’s security and political landscape.
The day before his detention, Imamoglu’s degree was revoked by Istanbul University.
The Istanbul Mayor’s Office announced a ban on holding any meetings and protest activities in the next four days. A web monitoring site reported that Turkey is simultaneously restricting people from using social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
The expanding legal actions by the authorities include multiple prosecutions and appointing government trustees to control municipal positions held by the opposition. Nationalist party leader Umit Ozdag has been detained since January.
The Turkish authorities have denied the opposition’s accusations and stated that the country’s judiciary operates independently.
(This article references reports from Reuters)