Egypt Daily News – A Turkish court has ordered the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu on Sunday, pending trial amid mass protests across the country against his arrest over allegations of corruption and ties to terrorism.
Prosecutors requested the court to detain Imamoğlu, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, and four of his aides pending trial, according to his office and Reuters. Imamoğlu had appeared in court for questioning on Saturday after his arrest last week sparked some of the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in more than 12 cities since Thursday, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, in largely peaceful demonstrations against his detention.
The court officially arrested and jailed Imamoğlu on corruption-related charges. This case is separate from an ongoing investigation into allegations that he assisted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), both designated as terrorist organizations by Turkey.
Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported that İmamoğlu and around 100 others linked to him are accused of belonging to a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, and aggravated fraud, according to a statement from the Istanbul prosecutor’s office.
His supporters have condemned the arrests, calling them politically motivated and part of a government crackdown on the opposition following the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) heavy defeat in last year’s local and mayoral elections. Many believe the move is aimed at eliminating potential rivals ahead of the next presidential election in a country of approximately 85 million people and a NATO member.
Thousands gathered outside Istanbul’s municipal building in the Saraçhane district on Saturday, waving Turkish flags and chanting slogans, while a large crowd of İmamoğlu’s supporters assembled outside Çağlayan Courthouse as he arrived for his hearing.
Protesters defied a ban on public gatherings in the streets, which was extended until March 26, and were met by hundreds of riot police in both locations. Officers used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowds, while protesters threw fireworks and other objects, according to Reuters.
Clashes also erupted in the western coastal province of Izmir and in Ankara for a third consecutive night, with police using water cannons to break up the demonstrations, Reuters reported.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said early Sunday that authorities had arrested 323 people during the protests.
İmamoğlu was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and re-elected in 2024. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2028, but some analysts believe Erdoğan might call for early elections, allowing him to bypass term limits.
Authorities arrested the mayor on Wednesday as part of investigations into corruption and terrorism. Arrest warrants were also issued for about 100 others linked to him, including his media advisor Murat Ongun, according to Anadolu Agency.
Özgür Özel, leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which İmamoğlu belongs to, called the charges politically motivated and described the case as “an attempted coup” in a speech to crowds in Istanbul on Saturday. He urged protesters to stand “together for the youth, for Istanbul, for Ekrem İmamoğlu and the other detainees,” adding, in reference to Erdoğan, “There are millions of people who do not fear him.”
Erdoğan, himself a former mayor of Istanbul, dismissed the opposition’s outrage as a “theatrical act” and “empty slogans.” The government warned against linking Erdoğan or politics to İmamoğlu’s arrest, insisting on the judiciary’s independence in response to accusations of political motivation, according to Reuters.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday evening, Erdoğan stated that “no one in Turkey is above the law” and issued a direct warning to the CHP: “We will not allow the CHP and its supporters to disrupt public order with provocations or threaten the security of our nation.” Interior Minister Yerlikaya also warned on Saturday that “those who disrupt social order, threaten national security, and seek chaos and provocation” would not be tolerated.
The Interior Ministry said on Friday that at least 16 police officers had been injured in clashes with demonstrators across the country since the protests began
