The detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, was a blow to Turkish democracy, protesters near Istanbul’s main police headquarters said yesterday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish authorities detained Imamoglu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on charges including corruption and aiding a terrorist group, prompting the protests and outcry from opposition groups and government critics.
More than 100 people gathered near the police headquarters, where Imamoglu was taken after being detained, chanting support for the mayor and slogans critical of the government.
Photo: Reuters
“They are conducting a coup right now against Imamoglu, who beat Erdogan four times at the ballot box since 2019 with the will of the nation,” said Bulent Gulten, a protester, referring to nationwide municipal elections in 2019 and last year when the CHP defeated Erdogan by sweeping most major cities.
“Today, the Turkish nation will once again unite against those who betray democracy and the national will,” Gulten said. “Ekrem Imamoglu is growing and gaining strength in the eyes of the people.”
Security forces barricaded the streets leading to the police headquarters, with riot police and water cannon trucks blocking the roads as the Istanbul governor’s office banned all public gatherings after Imamoglu’s detention.
“We came here to support the mayor. They arrested him unjustly. So we are here to support him,” said Murat Sapankaya, a municipal worker attending the protest.
Imamoglu, 54, has ramped up his criticism of Erdogan and his government in the past few months, prompting a flurry of legal moves and indictments against him.
On Wednesday he said that would not give up and would continue standing up against the pressure.
“We actually predicted that Imamoglu would soon go through such a detention process. We are all here until the decision is changed and justice is served,” said Yilmaz Arslan, another protester.
The state-run Anadolu Agency said that prosecutors issued detention warrants for the mayor and about 100 other people. Among those detained was Imamoglu’s close aide, Murat Ongun.
The arrest came during a search of Imamoglu’s home, but it was not immediately clear if police confiscated anything at the site.
The mayor’s wife, Dilek Imamoglu, told the private Now television station that police arrived at their residence before dawn and that the mayor was taken at about 7:30am.
A day earlier, a university in Istanbul invalidated Ekrem Imamoglu’s diploma, effectively disqualifying the popular opposition figure from running in the next presidential race.
Having a university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.
Additional reporting by AP
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