The Mayor of Istanbul has been detained as part of a Turkish corruption investigation – just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate.
Ekrem Imamoglu, from the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), is seen as one of Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan’s strongest political rivals.
Prosecutors say he is accused of being a “criminal organisation leader suspect”. A hundred suspects including other politicians, journalists and businessmen were also detained as part of the investigation.
Imamoglu said “the will of the people cannot be silenced”. State media reports a four-day lockdown on meetings, demonstrations and press releases has been enforced in the city.
Taking to social media following the allegations made against him, Imamoglu vowed to “stand resolute” for the people of Turkey “and all who uphold democracy and justice worldwide”.
“I stand firm in my fight for the fundamental rights and freedoms,” he added.
Dozens of police officers were involved in the early-morning raid on Imamoglu’s house in the historic Turkish city
The CHP’s presidential selection, in which Imamoglu is the only candidate, is set to take place on Sunday.
It came a day after Istanbul University annulled his degree, a decision which, if upheld, would prevent him from running in presidential elections. According to the Turkish constitution, presidents must have completed higher education to hold office.
Imamoglu called that move “legally baseless”, adding that universities “must remain independent, free from political interference, and dedicated to knowledge”.
His CHP party has characterised the recent interventions against him as a “coup attempt” to “prevent the nation from determining the next president”.
The party’s chairman, Ozgur Ozel, wrote on X that making decisions on behalf of the people, replacing their will, or using force to prevent it, amounted to a coup.
Its deputy chairman, Ilhan Uzgel, accused the government of using the detention as an “instrument to intimidate” Turkey’s opposition.
He told the BBC his party was “very concerned about the state of democracy in Turkey in general”.
Pro-government media outlets report that as well as being accused of extortion and fraud, Imamoglu is also alleged to have aided the PKK.
The PKK – or Kurdistan Workers’ Party – has waged an insurgency since 1984, and is proscribed as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and US.
This is not the first time Imamoglu has had a brush with the law.
In 2022, he was sentenced to more than two-and-a-half years in prison for insulting public officials in a speech.
Following Wednesday’s mass detention, a four-day ban was put in place on all demonstrations, meetings and press releases in Istanbul, the reason for which was said to be “preserving public order and preventing possible provocative actions”.
Many streets in Istanbul have also been closed to traffic, while some metro lines have also cancelled their services.
