Political turmoil in Turkey: Istanbul mayor detained
The Turkish police have detained Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition mayor of Istanbul, who is mentioned as a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. The day before, the university revoked the diploma of Erdogan's key rival. The Turkish authorities have introduced controversial bans.
What do you need to know?
- Arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained by Turkish police as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and ties to terrorism.
- Bans and restrictions: Authorities imposed a ban on organizing demonstrations for four days and restricted access to social media to control the situation and prevent the escalation of social tensions following the arrests.
- Diploma issues: Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu's diploma, which prevents him from running in the presidential elections.
According to the Anatolia news agency, Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for a total of about 100 people, indicating a wide-scale operation. Among those detained on Wednesday is Recep Tayyip Erdogan's political rival - Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a potential candidate for the presidency of Turkey.
Key rival of Erdogan arrested
The investigation concerns alleged corruption and ties to terrorism.
To prevent potential protests following the arrests, the Turkish authorities closed several roads around Istanbul and implemented a four-day ban on organizing demonstrations. Additionally, according to Reuters, access to social media platforms such as X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok has been restricted.
The day before the arrest, Istanbul University revoked the diploma of Imamoglu, who represents the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). According to the authorities, there were "irregularities" during his transfer from one university to another several decades ago.
This action prevents Imamoglu from running in the presidential elections, which are scheduled for 2028. According to Turkish law, possessing a university diploma is necessary to run for president. Importantly, it is not excluded that early elections may be organized in the country.
