Ekrem Imamoglu, the most likely rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been removed from his post as mayor after being ordered into custody. Turkey is in protests
Turkey's Interior Ministry announced that Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been removed from office after a Turkish court formally arrested him on corruption charges.
Istanbul's city assembly, where the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has a majority, is expected to elect an acting mayor in the coming days, following Imamoglu's removal, Reuters reported.
A court in Turkey ordered detention pending trial for the arrested mayor due to corruption allegations.
The prosecution requested that the court order the detention of Imamoglu and four of his associates, his office announced.
Mass protests engulfed Turkey
Imamoglu, the most serious political partyand the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was in court on Saturday after his arrest last week sparked the largest protests in the country in the last ten years.
Tens of thousands of people have been on the streets since Thursday in more than a dozen cities across the country, including the metropolis Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
On Sunday, March 23, the court formally arrested and detained Imamoglu on corruption-related charges, reports CNN Turk. The warrant does not relate to a separate investigation into Imamoglu's alleged aid to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK), which Turkey considers terrorist organizations.
Imamoglu and about 100 other people associated with him were charged with membership in a criminal organization, extortion, bribery and serious fraud, according to a statement from the Istanbul prosecutor's office, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
His supporters denounced the arrests as politically motivated and part of a government crackdown on the opposition that has been ongoing since the landslide defeat of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) in local elections last year. Many believe that the ultimate goal of this arrest is to eliminate all potential opponents ahead of the next presidential election in Turkey.
Demonstrators on the streets are defying the ban on gatherings, which has been extended until March 26. Hundreds of police officers used water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse disgruntled citizens, reports Reuters.
Protesters in Istanbul threw firecrackers and other objects at the police. Clashes with the police were also recorded in the western coastal province of Izmir and Ankara.
The Turkish authorities are during the protest arrested 343 people, Minister of the Interior Ali Jerlikaya announced on Sunday morning.
Who is Ekrem Imamoglu?
Ekrem Imamoglu was banned from being the mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and then again in 2024. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2028, but some analysts believe Erdogan could call early elections, bypassing term limits.
Imamoglu's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) claims the charges against the Istanbul mayor are politically motivated and describes them as an "attempted coup". Addressing a crowd in Istanbul on Saturday, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel called on protesters to rally "for the youth, for Istanbul, for Ekrem Imamoglu" and the other detainees.
"There are millions of people who are not afraid of him," he said, referring to Erdogan.
Erdogan - himself a former mayor of Istanbul - called the opposition's anger "theatrics" and "slogans" that Turkey has no time for.
In response to criticism that the arrests were politically motivated, the government warned against linking Erdogan or politics to Imamoglu's arrest, saying the judiciary is independent.
The president of Turkey warned late Saturday on the X social network that "no one in Turkey is beyond the reach of the law." He also added a direct warning to the CHP:
"We will not allow the CHP and its supporters to disrupt the public order and peace of our nation with provocations."
Interior Minister Ali Jerlikaya said on Saturday that "those who disrupt social order, threaten the peace and security of our nation and seek chaos and provocations will not be tolerated."
The Interior Ministry announced on Friday that at least 16 police officers have been injured in clashes with protesters across Turkey since the protests began.
Sources: Beta/Reuters/CNN
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