ISTANBUL — Turkish police arrested Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, along with several other prominent figures on Wednesday as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. The move marks a significant escalation in Turkey’s ongoing government crackdown on opposition and dissenting voices.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, prosecutors issued detention warrants for Imamoglu, a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and around 100 other individuals. Imamoglu’s close aide, Murat Ongun, was also detained.
The arrests led to authorities closing several roads around Istanbul and banning demonstrations in the city for four days to prevent any potential protests. NTV, a Turkish news channel, reported that two Istanbul district mayors were among those detained.
Critics argue that the crackdown follows the ruling party’s significant losses in local elections last year and growing calls for early national elections. Erdogan, a leader with increasingly authoritarian tendencies, has been Turkey’s prime minister or president for over 20 years and is currently serving until 2028.
Imamoglu, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was arrested as police searched his home, although it was unclear if anything was confiscated. His wife claimed police arrived at their house before dawn and he was taken early in the morning. The arrest triggered a 7% drop in the Istanbul Stock Exchange’s main index and a 7% loss in the value of the Turkish lira against the dollar.
The arrests include allegations of extortion, money laundering, irregularities concerning tenders and procurements, and ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group deemed a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington, and other Turkish allies.
In an act perceived as silencing opposition, a day before Imamoglu’s arrest, Istanbul University invalidated his diploma, which could disqualify him from running in future presidential races. The necessity to possess a university degree is a requirement under Turkish law.
The main opposition CHP and other political figures have condemned the detentions. CHP’s chairman, Ozgur Ozel, denounced the move as a “coup.” Graying Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party also decried the detentions, calling them a disgrace and an attempt to redesign politics through the judiciary.
The significance of Imamoglu’s arrest lies not only in his stature as the mayor of Turkey’s largest city and an opposition leader but in the timing, leading up to potential future elections, hinting at a political motive behind the legal actions against opposition figures.
Source: https://time.com/7269382/turkey-ekrem-imamoglu-arrested-istanbul-mayor-erdogan-opposition-corruption-elections/
