A dawn police raid on the home of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu resulted in his calm and calculated response. Imamoğlu, a longtime rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, filmed a video message for his supporters as he dressed for detention. He declared, “A small group is trying to usurp the will of the people. I will stand strong.”

Imamoğlu was later arrested on corruption charges and taken to a high-security prison on the outskirts of Istanbul, which he has governed since 2019. The Republican People’s party (CHP) nominated him as their presidential candidate following a primary vote, while the interior ministry removed him from office. Despite this, nightly demonstrations in support of Imamoğlu spread beyond traditional CHP areas, even in regions where Erdoğan has significant support.

Backers of Imamoğlu in his hometown of Trabzon marched through the streets wearing masks of his face, praising him as “Trabzon’s son” and “a brother to all of us.” Imamoğlu has consistently dismissed parallels between himself and Erdoğan, characterizing himself as a staunch social democrat.

Imamoğlu’s detention has brought comparisons to Erdoğan’s political rise, who was jailed in the 1990s for reading a poem. Analysts suggest that jailing Imamoğlu could backfire for the Turkish president.

Imamoğlu’s rule in Istanbul has faced obstacles from the Turkish authorities, who annulled his first election victory and later served him with a political ban and jail time. Governing the city has been further complicated by the Justice and Development party’s opposition to many of his policies.

Despite these setbacks, Imamoğlu maintains political charm and appeal to voters. His supporters view him as “the victim of a political campaign,” which could further bolster his support. It is uncertain how his presidential run would unfold from detention, but an early election is expected. In a message from prison, Imamoğlu declared, “This extraordinary moment has terrified a small group of ill-intentioned people. They are right to be terrified.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/24/ekrem-imamoglu-jailed-rival-turkish-president-could-emerge-stronger