Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu Arrested on Corruption Charges

An Istanbul court has officially detained Ekrem İmamoğlu, the city’s mayor, on corruption allegations, placing him in pre-trial detention coinciding with the day he was expected to receive his party’s nomination for the presidency.

As the leader of Turkey’s largest city and a political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, İmamoğlu faces accusations of running a criminal enterprise, involving bribery, misconduct, and corruption, along with several of his staff and municipal officials.

In addition, the Istanbul mayor and a few others are facing separate charges of supporting an armed terrorist group, stemming from his cooperation with a left-wing political alliance before last year’s local elections. Despite this, prosecutors decided that the corruption charges alone warranted İmamoğlu’s detention, though three others were detained on terrorism charges.

İmamoğlu has refuted the allegations, asserting during his interrogation that his detention not only damages Turkey’s international standing but also undermines public trust in the legal system and economy. He expressed confidence that the truth will ultimately prevail, emphasizing his dedication to democracy.

His spokesperson, Murat Ongun, who is also in custody, claimed on X that his arrest was based on unfounded accusations without evidence. Following İmamoğlu’s arrest, widespread protests erupted throughout Turkey, with thousands of demonstrators clashing with police. The interior minister reported additional arrests linked to protests against İmamoğlu’s detention.

Despite officials denying that the crackdown on İmamoğlu and his associates is politically motivated, public protests have continued to thrive, filled with anti-government sentiment. President Erdoğan condemned the demonstrations as “street terrorism,” vowing to maintain public order and accusing protesters of provoking unrest.

İmamoğlu’s detention coincided with a primary vote by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has become a crucial moment, as he remains their singular candidate for the presidency amid a backdrop that includes allegations of political tampering ahead of the 2028 elections. CHP leader Özgur Özel lamented that İmamoğlu’s only wrongdoing appears to be leading in the polls, condemning the situation as a politically motivated effort to undermine his candidacy.