Turkey detains Istanbul's mayor, a key rival of President Erdogan, prosecutors say
Turkish authorities have detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of corruption and terror investigations, according to state broadcaster TRT, citing the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office.
Detention orders have also been issued for around 100 others, according to state-run news agency Anadolu Agency.
The move comes just days before the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is scheduled to hold a primary election, where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen as its presidential candidate.
Live video from CNN Turk showed police wearing riot gear and dozens of security vehicles outside Imamoglu's home.
'I am saddened to say, a handful of people who are trying to steal the will of the people, have sent the dear police, the security forces implicating them in this wrongful doing,' Imamoglu said in a video posted to X on Wednesday.
'Hundreds of police officers have been sent to the door my house — the house of the 16 million people of Istanbul.'
The head of the main opposition party described the move as 'a coup attempt against our next president.'
'Making decisions on behalf of the people, using force to replace the will of the people or to obstruct it is a coup. There is currently a force in place to prevent the nation from determining the next president,' Ozgur Ozel, leader of the CHP, said in a post on X.
Following Imamoglu's detention, Istanbul's governorship suspended the right to demonstrate in the city until March 23 'in order to maintain public order.' Some metro stops and roads in downtown Istanbul have been closed, it added.
According to internet watchdog NetBlocks, access to X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok has been restricted in the country.
The move to detain the mayor of Turkey's largest city, a key political battleground, comes after Istanbul University said on Tuesday it had annulled Imamoglu's degree over irregularities, dealing a blow to the opposition and dashing the mayor's presidential ambitions.
Without a university degree, Imamoglu of the main opposition CHP, would be disqualified from running for president.
Imamoglu said the university's decision was illegal and outside its jurisdiction, and that he would launch a legal challenge 'The decision of the Istanbul University Board of Directors is UNLAWFUL' he said. 'The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near.'
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey's largest and most populous city in 2019 and again in 2024. The next presidential vote is scheduled for 2028, but some analysts say Erdogan could call for early elections which would allow him to bypass term limits.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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