Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul and a prominent rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been formally jailed pending trial on charges of corruption and alleged ties to terrorist organizations. His arrest, widely seen as politically motivated, has ignited the largest wave of protests in Turkey in over a decade.
The court decision came days after a dramatic raid on İmamoğlu’s residence. The mayor was taken into custody and subsequently remanded following a closed-door hearing that critics say lacked transparency. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, also of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), denounced the proceedings, saying legal teams were blindsided by media leaks before receiving official documentation.
İmamoğlu’s arrest comes as the CHP was beginning its internal selection process for the 2028 presidential race, with him as the leading candidate. Despite his detention, the party confirmed its continued support, establishing public “solidarity boxes” to show unity.
The move has drawn widespread condemnation at home and abroad. The Council of Europe issued a strong rebuke, calling for İmamoğlu’s immediate release and raising concerns about the erosion of democratic norms in Turkey. Thousands took to the streets in major cities, with many chanting slogans against what they described as Erdoğan’s creeping authoritarianism.
İmamoğlu, who first defeated Erdoğan’s ruling party in the 2019 municipal elections and secured reelection in 2024, has long been considered a potential successor to challenge the president’s 20-year rule. His recent legal troubles are not his first: he is also appealing a 2022 conviction for allegedly insulting election officials, and Istanbul University recently revoked his diploma—a move that may disqualify him from a future presidential bid.
Observers see the latest crackdown as part of Erdoğan’s broader effort to neutralize key opposition figures ahead of 2028, consolidating power in what critics say is now a full-fledged autocracy.
