Student clashes with police over the detention of Mayor of Istanbul
Reuters reports that Turkey has detained Mayor Iklem Imamolu, president of President Receptacle Erdogan’s main rival, on corruption charges, and supported terrorist groups in what the major opposition parties call a “coup.” (Reuters)
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan has faced critics for what critics say is a crackdown on opposition politicians after police detained his main rival, Mayor Iklem Imamolu, and his main rival, Mayor Iklem Imamolu, on charges of linking to corruption and terrorism.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul has issued detention orders for Imamol and 106 other prominent politicians. The suspect is allegedly committed crimes such as bribery, embezzlement, bid rigging, worsening fraud and illegal acquisition of personal data.
Imamol was accused of leading a rebellion against the Turkish state and working with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a Kurdish nationalist group considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the European Union.
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Ekrem Imamol, mayor of Istanbul (Aziz Karimov/Getty Images/file)
Critics suspect the arrest of prominent opposition, especially during the era when Erdogan’s Dominant Justice and Development (AKP) party suffered losses in local elections over the past year.
“Imamoruru’s arrest is no coincidence. He is Erdogan’s political nemesis, and his candidacy against him for the presidency has been hampering Erdogan’s heart.”
People will protest the arrest of Mayor Iklem Imamomor in Istanbul on March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Ciddi warned that detention of political enemies represents Turkey’s final point as democracy, arguing that free and fair elections and peaceful transfer of power are no longer possible.
Turkish officials have pushed back accusations that the wave of arrests are politically motivated.
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A spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Washington introduced Fox News Digital in a statement from the Department of Justice.
“Relating a judicial investigation or case with the president is, to say the least, an act of boldness and irresponsibility,” wrote Justice Yılmaz Tunç.
People will protest the arrest of Mayor Iklem Imamomor in Istanbul on March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
“In our country, separation of power (legal, enforcement, judicial) is a fundamental principle. The judiciary does not receive orders from anyone,” the statement added.
Imamol thanked the global leaders and members of the European Parliament with X’s post and vowed to continue fighting for Türkiye’s democracy.
“I am determined and entrusted to 86 million citizens not only to the 16 million residents of Istanbul, but to all who support democracy and justice around the world. I am stuck in my battle for fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Turkish President Receptacle Erdogan (AP/Emrah Gurel/File)
Imamor, a member of the People’s Party of the Secular Republican Party (CHP), was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. In both elections, he defeated the AKP opponents supported by Erdogan. He was considered a CHP candidate in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for 2028 or if the election was called early.
Authorities banned four-day public demonstrations to quell the growth in backlash against arrests. Özgürözel, chairman of Turkey’s leading opposition party, held a massive demonstration in Istanbul, calling for public protests to oppose what the opposition viewed as a serious violation of democratic norms.
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In response to the arrest, Istanbul University invalidated Imamolu’s diploma. This is a move that prohibits him from running for president, according to Turkish laws requiring the president to obtain a university degree. Imamol said the law goes beyond university authority and is a troubling sign of political interference in academia.
Sonar Kagaptei, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said in a post in X that he was catapulted to political stardom as then Istanbul’s mayor in 1999 when he was imprisoned on charges of inciting religious hatred and since 2003 on charges of inciting religious hatred just to become the leader of Turkey.
