Court Orders Mayor Imamoglu's Imprisonment, Political Tensions Rise in Turkey, Protests Erupt Across Cities, Over 400 Arrested

Court Orders Mayor Imamoglu's Imprisonment, Political Tensions Rise in Turkey, Protests Erupt Across Cities, Over 400 Arrested

Istanbul: A Turkish court has ordered the imprisonment of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges before his trial, a decision that could spark one of the largest protests in Turkey. State media and other broadcasters report that this decision has led to the arrest of Imamoglu, who is a leading political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Following Imamoglu's arrest, the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), European leaders, and thousands of protesters have condemned the action as politically motivated and undemocratic. The court stated that Imamoglu and at least 20 others were arrested as part of a corruption investigation. However, due to a separate terrorist-related charge, Imamoglu was released under judicial control, which may hinder the government from appointing a new administrator for Istanbul.

Imamoglu, who has been leading in some polls against Erdogan, has denied the charges, calling them "unfounded accusations and propaganda." On Sunday, members of Imamoglu’s CHP and others voted to select him as their candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

Turkey’s general elections are set for 2028, but if President Erdogan decides to run again, the parliament must approve early elections.

Ankara’s Mayor Mansur Yavas, a member of the CHP, told reporters, "Sending Imamoglu to prison is a shame for Turkey's judiciary."

The government claims that the investigations are not politically motivated and that the courts are working independently. However, they have warned against protests and have banned ongoing protests across the country since Saturday. On Saturday, thousands of people protested in front of Istanbul’s municipal building and the main courthouse. The police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the protesters.

Although most of the protests were peaceful, clashes occurred between protesters and police in the western city of Izmir and the capital Ankara, with police using water cannons to disperse them.

Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that security measures in Istanbul have been heightened, and preparations for further protests were made with increased security in various parts of the city starting from Saturday evening. Security forces reported that at least 300,000 people protested in Istanbul on Saturday night. However, according to opposition claims, the number was close to one million.

In response to this court ruling, CHP has organized a primary vote to select their candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Imamoglu is likely to be the party's candidate. The CHP has called on both its members and external voters to participate in the vote to increase public support against Imamoglu’s arrest.

As of now, voting is ongoing in 5,600 ballot boxes across Turkey’s 81 provinces, and voting will continue until 14:00 GMT.