A court in Istanbul has arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, reported the channel A haber. He is accused of 'corruption' and 'fraud' amounting to 560 billion Turkish lira, as well as 'collaboration with terrorists'.
Imamoglu and his associates, including municipal employees, entrepreneurs, and journalists, were detained on March 19. In addition to 'corruption' investigations, cases of alleged links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), 'terrorism', and 'creating a criminal organization' are being considered.
Following Imamoglu's detention, protest actions have been taking place in Turkey for five days, covering more than 50 provinces of the country, with estimates of the number of people on the streets ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands.
Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya accused the protest participants of 'threats to peace and security' in the country and stated that they 'will not be tolerated'. President Erdogan calls the events 'street terrorism'.
Additionally, 37 people have been detained, accused of 'provocative' publications on social networks. Turkish authorities identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 abroad, classifying this as 'provocative posts inciting crimes and hatred', stated the country's Interior Minister.
The Supreme Council for Radio and Television of Turkey threatened media covering the unrest live with license revocation, local media report. As a result, TRT Haber, NTV, and CNN Turk no longer broadcast opposition protests but continue to cover the political situation through expert commentary.
Ekrem Imamoglu is considered the main competitor to the current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the elections scheduled for 2028. On March 23, the main Republican People's Party (CHP) was supposed to hold primaries, and it was expected that Imamoglu would be chosen as the party's candidate. According to supporters of the Mayor of Istanbul, this was the main reason for the criminal cases and political persecution.
Imamoglu has strongly rejected the charges against him. During police questioning, he stated that the 'immoral and unfounded accusations' are aimed at undermining his 'reputation' and 'authority', reported the Istanbul municipality.
On Saturday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Istanbul municipality building and the courthouse. They demanded Imamoglu's release. Police used several water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray.
Photo: AP