In a move described as a “coup” by the main opposition CHP party, Turkish police raided the residence of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Wednesday and detained him during a corruption investigation.
Days before he was set to be announced as the CHP’s nominee for the 2028 presidential election, Imamoglu, a well-liked and influential member of the party and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s principal political opponent, was arrested.
Considered by many to be the most formidable opponent of Erdogan, Imamoglu’s career has been marred by a series of court proceedings that some claim are politically motivated.
The police raid happened hours after Istanbul University cancelled his degree due to allegations that it was obtained fraudulently.
The revocation is a risky step because Turkish presidential contenders must possess a higher level of education.
Imamoglu “was detained and is now at police headquarters,” according to a press assistant who wished to remain anonymous because he lacked the authority to speak to the media and could not explain his detention.
“Hundreds of policemen have shown up at my house. In an X video, the mayor declared, “I entrust myself to the people.”
The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Imamoglu was the head of a “criminal organisation” and that 100 suspects had been apprehended, citing charges of bribery and extortion.
The action seemed to be related to an investigation into Imamoglu’s suspected “tender rigging” that was launched in 2023.
However, local media sources, including those from the state news agency Anadolu, claimed that he was one of seven people held and that his imprisonment was also connected to a separate investigation for allegedly assisting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
– Social media blocked, protests banned –
What he described as a “coup attempt against our next president” was denounced by CHP chief Ozgur Ozel.
“Making decisions on behalf of the people, using force to replace the will of the people or to obstruct it is a coup,” Ozel claimed on X.
“We’re not going to compromise. The people’s will will ultimately triumph, and Turkey will emerge victorious,” he continued.
Social media platform access was banned shortly after the police raid, according to the Netblocks internet access monitor.
“Live metrics show #Turkey has restricted access to multiple social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok; the incident comes as Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and dozens of others are detained in events described by the opposition as a ‘coup’,” the statement said.
The CHP had announced several protests late Tuesday against the revocation of Imamoglu’s degree, which the mayor promised to challenge in court. The Istanbul governor’s office promptly banned all protests until March 23.
“We will fight this illegitimate decision in court,” declared the 53-year-old mayor, who was recently overwhelmingly re-elected to lead Turkey’s largest city.
“We will build a system that will erase injustice from this country’s memory.”
Erdogan has consistently denied allegations that he was unfit to serve as president under the constitution and never completed college.
Istanbul University said in a statement on X that Imamoglu’s degree would be “withdrawn and cancelled on the grounds of… obvious error” along with the degrees of 28 other individuals. It didn’t go into much detail.
A copy of Imamoglu’s 1995 business management degree from Istanbul University was previously made public by the mayor’s office after a journalist asserted he lacked one.
Imamoglu has been the subject of numerous legal investigations in recent years; three fresh cases have been initiated this year alone.
His appeal is still pending. In 2022, he was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison and prohibited from engaging in political activity for “insulting” election officials in Istanbul.
