Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the main rival of President Erdoğan, was arrested early this morning on charges of corruption, leading a criminal organization, and supporting “terrorism” [1], [2], [3].
According to Turkish media, he is accused of being the ‘leader of a profit-driven criminal organization’ and, in a separate investigation, of providing ‘assistance’ to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist organization in Turkey. Authorities have closed major roads in the city, banned protests for four days, and access to social media has been restricted.
During the same operation, more than 100 people, including journalists and business figures, were also arrested, and public gatherings in Istanbul have been prohibited today.
Yesterday, Istanbul University revoked İmamoğlu’s degree, citing alleged ‘irregularities’ in his 1990 transfer from a private university in Northern Cyprus. This disqualifies him from running in the presidential elections, as a higher education degree is required for party leadership candidacy.
On Sunday, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party, will hold its primary elections, where İmamoğlu was expected to secure the nomination for the 2028 presidential race. The CHP has condemned the arrest as ‘an attempted coup against our next president.’
A total of 106 people, including İmamoğlu’s aides, journalists, and business figures, have been arrested as part of the two ongoing investigations.
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