Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul and a key political rival to Turkey's long-serving leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested just days before he was expected to be nominated as a presidential candidate. Turkish police detained İmamoğlu on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist organization, with the main opposition party on Wednesday calling it "a coup against our next president." This arrest has further intensified the already strained political atmosphere in the country.
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03-20, 2025İmamoğlu, 54, who was leading Erdoğan in some opinion polls, was expected to be formally nominated as the presidential candidate by the Republican People's Party (CHP). He faces two separate investigations, including allegations of leading a criminal organization, bribery, and manipulating tenders. Furthermore, Istanbul University had previously declared İmamoğlu's diploma invalid, effectively disqualifying him from running in the upcoming presidential election, as a university degree is a necessary condition for participation under Turkish law.
The move against the two-time mayor is the culmination of months of legal crackdowns against opposition figures across the country, crackdowns that have been criticized as politically motivated attempts to damage their electoral prospects. The state-run Anadolu news agency said prosecutors had also issued arrest warrants for another 100 people, including Murat Ongun, a close aide to İmamoğlu. Authorities also closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days, apparently to prevent protests following the arrest.
The country's currency, the lira, plummeted 12% on Wednesday following the news. Republican People's Party leader Özgür Özel urged opposition unity and said his party would still choose İmamoğlu as its presidential candidate on Sunday. "Turkey is experiencing a coup against its next president. We are facing an attempted coup," Özel said. He added: "Democracy is a train, and Tayyip Erdoğan only got on it when it suited him. Now, he has gotten off that train and joined the coup plotters."
İmamoğlu posted a video on social media on Wednesday morning as he prepared to leave his home to be detained, saying in the video that he would not give up and would withstand the pressure. Government officials insist that the courts operate independently and dismiss claims that the legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated. Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç dismissed accusations that the president was trying to suppress political opposition, saying "linking the investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our president is, at best, arbitrary and inappropriate."
Erdoğan has led the country in some form for 22 years, but is currently limited in his term as president. The next election is scheduled for 2028, but he could run again if Erdoğan calls an election before the end of his term or amends the constitution. The Council of Europe joined the criticism of İmamoğlu's arrest on Wednesday, saying it "strongly condemned" the decision and that it "exposed all the signs of pressure being exerted on political figures." French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said the arrest could have serious consequences for Turkish democracy. "This morning, we learned with deep concern of the arrest of opposition Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu, as well as many other prominent figures," he said. German Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer described the arrests as a "serious setback for democracy."
