Opposition condemns Imamoglu’s detention as a ‘coup’ as the mayor fights back against the invalidation of his diploma, which could prevent his candidacy for presidency.

Imamoglu, a significant opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday morning, with state-run Anadolu Agency reporting that prosecutors had issued detention warrants for the mayor and around 100 additional individuals.

In a video post, Imamoglu stated, “We are being subjected to great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not succumb.” He accused the government of “seizing the will” of the people.

In an effort to suppress potential protests following Imamoglu’s arrest, authorities have closed various roads in Istanbul and banned demonstrations for four days.

cranial-dice-gm-aw3-0602-17″ corquées-has-been opues-ted asiistiṣ-lən-members-ay-wara-aye-elerved-backed-fn السابقة mark>Historic defeat to Erdogan and his AK Party, which had governed Istanbul for twenty-five years, Imamoglu won the mayorship of Turkey’s most populous city in March 2019. Despite the AK Party’s attempts to annul the municipal election results, a subsequent vote saw Imamoglu re-elected.

Imamoglu maintained his position in the local elections last year, where his Republican People’s Party (CHP) made progress against the AK Party, although the AK Party nonetheless secured an overall victory nationwide, leading to internal criticism within the CHP regarding its leadership and strategy.

On Tuesday, an Istanbul university declared Imamoglu’s diploma invalid, thus disqualifying him from future presidential races, as a university degree is a legal requirement for candidacy in Turkey.

The mayor vowed to dispute the decision.

The CHP, the main opposition party, was to select its candidate for future elections in a primary set for Sunday, where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen. The vote is now considered improbable.

Turkey’s next presidential election is slated for 2028, but early elections could occur.

CHP’s chair, Ozgur Ozel, branded Imamoglu’s apprehension as “an attempted coup.”

“A power currently exists to impede the nation from choosing the next president,” he declared. “We are witnessing an attempted coup against our next president.”

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Diyarbakir, said the arrested include notable journalists and business magnates.

“The main opposition figures have condemned the decision as being unlawful and unconstitutional,” she reported.

Government officials maintain that the courts operate independently and deny assertions that legal actions against opposition figures are politically driven.