Cliff Notes
- Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent opposition leader, has been arrested on corruption charges amid increasing protests across Turkey against his detention.
- Imamoglu faces allegations of links to a terror organisation, with clashes occurring between demonstrators and police during his ongoing questioning; he denies any wrongdoing.
- His arrest is perceived by many as a politically motivated attempt to exclude him from the 2028 presidential race, raising concerns about the state of democracy and rule of law in Turkey.
Turkish president Erdogan’s main rival Ekrem Imamoglu formally arrested and jailed pending trial
The mayor of Istanbul and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival has been formally arrested and jailed pending trial over corruption charges.
Ekrem Imamoglu was originally detained on Wednesday – sparking some small protests across Turkey which have since intensified.
Mr Imamoglu, a popular opposition figure with the Republican People’s Party, was also detained over allegations of links to a terror organisation.
He has been known as a pro-Israeli and American candidate wanting to reverse of the Islamic changes Erdogan has installed, like the reversal of Hagia Sophia from a mosque back to museum.
Demonstrators clashed with police
For a fourth night, demonstrators clashed with police as the 53-year-old faced further questioning. He denies any wrongdoing.
In Izmir, a very cosmopolitan city, a lot of the demonstrators were made up of foreign people and most of them, had their faces covered.
Erdogan has condemned the demonstrations and accused the CHP of trying to “disturb the peace and polarise our people”.
Imamoglu is seen as one of Erdogan’s most formidable political rivals. He is the only person running in the CHP’s presidential candidate selection, which is set to take place on Sunday.