Turkiye police detain Erdogan rival Imamoglu in corruption, terror probe

Turkish police have arrested Istanbul’s mayor as part of what they say are investigations into alleged corruption and terror links.

Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on Wednesday morning, with the state-run Anadolu Agency saying prosecutors issued detention warrants for the mayor and roughly 100 other people.

Imamoglu posted a video saying, “We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged.” He accused the government of “usurping the will” of the people.

While authorities closed roads around Istanbul to try and prevent protests following Imamoglu’s arrest, about 100 people gathered at the police station where he was taken, chanting anti-government slogans.

Local media reported that students at Istanbul University broke through police barricades during a demonstration on Wednesday, with police firing tear gas.

Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkiye’s largest city in March 2019 in a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, or AK Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century.

While the AK Party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, a repeat election several months later saw Imamoglu win again.

Imamoglu retained his seat following local elections last year, in which his Republican People’s Party (CHP) made gains against the AK Party. The AK Party still emerged as the dominant winner across the country, causing the CHP to face internal criticism regarding its leadership, internal rivalries and strategic direction.

On Tuesday, a university in Istanbul invalidated Imamoglu’s diploma, effectively disqualifying him from the next presidential race as having a university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.

Imamoglu said he would challenge the decision.

CHP – the main opposition party – was due to hold a primary on Sunday where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen as its candidate in future elections. The vote is now unlikely to proceed.

Turkiye’s next presidential vote is scheduled for 2028, but early elections are possible.

CHP’s chairman, Ozgur Ozel, denounced Imamoglu’s arrest as a “coup”.

“Currently, there is a power in place to prevent the nation from determining the next president,” he said. “We are facing an attempted coup against our next president.”

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Diyarbakir, said those arrested include prominent journalists and business figures.

“The main opposition figures have reacted to the decision saying that it is unlawful and illegal,” she said.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told reporters the arrests had nothing to do with the government.

“Linking investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our President is, at best, presumptuous and inappropriate,” he said.

Erdogan’s communications directorate said the presidency would continue to defend him against what it called an “irrational smear campaign”.