The Turkish police on Wednesday detained the powerful Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu on the allegations of graft and terrorism, causing resentment from the opposition that slammed it as a politically motivated “coup”.
The main opposition CHP’s Imamoglu is the main political rival of President Recep Tayip Erdogan and came in his custody a few days before expecting his candidate for the 2028 presidential election from the party.
Widely seen as the strongest challenger for Erdogan – who also included four years on the route for the presidency, as the Mayor of Istanbul – Imamoglu has been targeted by increasing number of critics say that there are serious legal investigations.
Hundreds of police joined the pre-don raid at their home, Imamoglu said on X that with officials, then stopped access to social networks with officials.
Despite the presence of heavy police on the roads, street protests were faced, with hundreds of governors banned all protests for four days.
In a speech at the city hall, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said, “What has happened is a coup.”
“Ekrem Imamoglu’s freedom to become a candidate is not being overcome, it is the freedom of this country that he is being elected.”
The mayor’s wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu called it a target political campaign aimed at ending the Turkish future President. It is a direct shock for the nation, and we will fight, “he swore.
– Angry Street Protests –
Thousands of people held rallies in the cold in front of the city hall on Wednesday evening, shouting: “Erdogan, dictator!” And “Imamoglu, you are not alone!”
Hundreds of people also massaged outside the police station, where the mayor was being organized.
“Whenever this boy and his dirty teams see someone strong, they get nervous and do some illegal,” a shopkeeper said, who since 2003 identified themselves as Kurzay, referring to Erdogan and AKP party in power.
63 -year -old Hasan Yieldz said, “In the past, it was a soldier who counted. Today it is a politician.”
An AFP reporter said that the police fired Tiergas to disperse 400 students protesting outside the Istanbul University on their decision to cancel Imamoglu’s degree.
Turkish Lira fell 14.5 percent against the dollar and the benchmark stock index bist 100 8.72 percent lower.
Hamish Kinnar, a senior analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said, “Today’s dip in the markets shows that investors are worried that arrest was politically motivated.”
– Crackdown’s ‘Escation’ –
Justice Minister Yilamaz Tanak said that Imamoglu’s investigation was being investigated for “alleged crime to support and release the terrorist organization – that is, the banned Kurdish terrorist group PKK.
A second investigation, which included 100 suspects, was focused on allegations of obtaining personal data for advantage as bribes, forcible recovery, corruption, increased fraud, and illegally as part of a criminal organization.
More than 80 people were scored on Wednesday, with some 20 others still sought – the most from CHP.
Officials have regularly targeted journalists, lawyers and elected politicians, especially since a failed coup in 2016.
But in recent months, the crackdown has intensified, in which the authorities removed more than a dozen opposition mayors and took action against any alleged opponents.
Between October and March, officials imprisoned three CHP mayors in the Istanbul area. He also removed 10 mayors from the Pro-Kurd Dame Party, the most replaced by the government-appointed trustees.
Imamoglu was one of the three and CHP mayors detained on Wednesday.
“What happened this morning was no less than the coup against the main opposition party, with far -reaching consequences for Turkey’s political trajectory,” political scientist Burke Essen told AFP, “political scientist Burke Essen told AFP.
The European Union head Ursula von deer Leyen said it was “deeply related” and Berlin condemned it as a “serious shock for democracy”.
But the United States, who has a warm relationship with Erdogan, who has a warm relationship with Erdogan, refused to criticize the arrest.
State Department spokesman Tami Bruce said, “We will encourage Turkey to respect human rights, so that it can handle its own internal structure properly.”
– ‘Candidation candidature in bud’ –
The raid was conducted just hours after the University of Istanbul canceled the Imamoglu degree, claiming that it was obtained falsely – as an important step, presidential candidates are required by law for higher education qualification.
It came only a few days before a prominent CHP meeting, on which the party named it its candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
“I think Erdogan was about Imamoglu’s candidature in Kali,” Sonar Cagape told AFP, Senior Fellow of Washington Institute for Pass East Policy, Senior Fellow, Senior Fellow, Senior Fellow.
The 53 -year -old, who was re -elected as the Turkey’s largest city and the mayor of the Economic Powerhouse last year, has been nominated in several legal investigations, three new cases alone this year.
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