Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on Sunday pending trial on corruption charges, sparking widespread protests across the city. The court ordered his immediate detention on suspicion of running a criminal organization, accepting bribes, and bid-rigging.
Imamoglu faces prosecution for allegedly aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but the court rejected requests to imprison him on terror-related charges. He was transferred to Silivri prison, where 47 others were also jailed pending trial, including a key aide and two district mayors representing Istanbul’s Beylikduzu and Sisli provinces.
The arrest has triggered intense protests, with thousands gathering outside city hall for the fifth consecutive night. Demonstrators demand Imamoglu’s release and accuse President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of targeting him politically. Clashes erupted as protesters threw flares and stones at riot units deployed to police the area.
Erdogan responded by calling on the Republican People’s Party (CHP) not to pressure the judiciary during investigations, warning that he will show no tolerance for disruption and division. The CHP has announced internal elections to determine Imamoglu’s replacement, with his party holding a majority in municipal councils.
Over 1.7 million opposition CHP members began holding solidarity ballots to endorse Imamoglu, who was expected to be nominated as the party’s presidential candidate in the primary election scheduled for 2028. The vote count reached around 15 million people, with over 13 million from non-party members voting in solidarity.
International reactions have been critical, with the Council of Europe demanding Imamoglu’s immediate release and the German government calling it “a serious setback for democracy in Turkey.”
Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/03/24/ukrainian-and-us-officials-hold-productive-ceasefire-talks-in-riyadh