Istanbul — Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul’s mayor — a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — and several other prominent figures as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. It was a dramatic escalation in an ongoing crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkey.
The state-run Anadolu news agency said prosecutors issued detention warrants for the mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and some 100 other people. Among those detained was Imamoglu’s close aide, Murat Ongun.
Authorities also closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days in an apparent effort to prevent protests following the arrest.
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Despite the ban, a live feed on the Anka News Agency’s X account appeared to show protesters clashing with riot police at Istanbul University. One sign read: “The university will not comply.” No violence was immediately reported from the demonstrations.
Private television network NTV said two Istanbul district mayors were among those detained.
Critics note that the crackdown follows significant losses by Erdogan’s ruling party in local elections last year, and amid growing calls for early national elections. Government officials insist the courts operate independently and reject claims that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated.
“We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged,” Imamoglu said earlier in the day in a video posted on social media.
Germany criticized the arrests Wednesday, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer describing them as “a serious setback for democracy.”
Internet watchdog Netblocks said Wednesday that its live metrics indicated Turkey was restricting access to X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms.
Erdogan, a populist with what opponents say are increasingly authoritarian tendencies, has led Turkey as prime minister or president for more than 20 years and is now the longest-serving leader in the Turkish republic’s history. His current term runs until 2028, but he has indicated he’d like to serve longer — something he could achieve with the help of a friendly parliament.
Imamoglu was arrested as police searched his home, but it wasn’t immediately clear if anything was confiscated. His wife, Dilek Imamoglu, told the private Now television network that police arrived at their residence before dawn and that the mayor was taken around 7:30 a.m.
The Istanbul Stock Exchange’s main index dropped by 7% over news of his arrest, triggering a temporary halt to trading to prevent panic selling and stabilize the market. The Turkish lira lost some 7% of its value against the dollar.
Anadolu, the news agency, said that Ekrem Imamoglu and several others were suspected of extortion, money laundering and irregularities concerning tenders and procurements, among other crimes.
Imamoglu is also suspected of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, by allegedly forming an alliance with a Kurdish umbrella organization for the Istanbul municipal elections, the report said. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency within Turkey and is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington and other allies.
Earlier this month, in a move lauded by the U.S., the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire with Turkey’s government, following a call from the group’s long-jailed leader for it to lay down arms entirely.
“An attempted coup against our next president”
A day earlier, Istanbul University invalidated Imamoglu’s diploma, effectively disqualifying him from running in the next presidential race — a university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.
The mayor’s party — the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP — was to hold a primary on Sunday where Imamoglu was widely expected to be chosen as its candidate in future presidential elections. The national ballot is currently scheduled for 2028, but the vote is expected to be brought forward.
Despite all the arrests Wednesday, CHP party chairman Ozgur Ozel told the opposition-aligned Halik TV channel that its primary would go ahead as planned. Ozel called Imamoglu’s detention “an attempted coup against our next president.”
In a social media post written in English, Imamoglu said: “The will of the people cannot be silenced through intimidation or unlawful acts. I stand resolute, entrusting myself not only to the 16 million residents of Istanbul but to the 86 million citizens” of Turkey.
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Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party condemned the detentions and called for the immediate release of all taken into custody.
The dawn raid on Imamoglu’s home and his arrest was a “disgrace that will not be forgotten for centuries. This operation, which shatters faith in justice, is an attempt to redesign politics through the judiciary,” Tulay Hatimogullari, the party’s co-chairwoman, wrote on X.
As he was being arrested, Ongun, the mayor’s aide, appealed for support on X, though he at the time did not appear to know that the mayor was also being taken into custody.
“They think they can silence us and prevent us from defending and supporting Ekrem Imamoglu,” Ongun said. “I entrust Ekrem Imamoglu to the Turkish nation. Protect, watch over and support him. They cannot defeat the nation.”
Police also detained a prominent investigative journalist, Ismail Saymaz, for questioning, the opposition-aligned Halk TV reported.
In nullifying Imamoglu’s diploma, the university cited alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its Faculty of Business Administration. Imamoglu said he would challenge the decision.
Imamoglu faces multiple lawsuits, including allegations of trying to influence a judicial expert investigating opposition-led municipalities. The cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban.
He is also appealing a 2022 conviction of insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council, a case that could result in a political ban.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019 in a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. The president’s party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won. The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which his party made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party.
