Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was detained on corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated.
Imamoglu, considered the main rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2028 elections, was expected to be selected as the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) presidential nominee in a vote on Sunday.
His arrest has sparked the largest unrest in Turkey since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, with demonstrators clashing with security forces. Riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons at crowds gathered near Istanbul’s city hall, where thousands waved Turkish flags and chanted in defiance.
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Imamoglu has denied the allegations against him, calling them an attempt to suppress political opposition. “I will never bow,” he wrote on X before being remanded in custody. His wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, addressed protesters outside city hall, stating that the injustice against her husband “has struck a chord with every conscience.”
Erdogan has condemned the protests, accusing the CHP of attempting to “disturb the peace and polarize our people.” The demonstrations have spread across at least 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, according to French news agency AFP.
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Imamoglu was arrested alongside more than 100 others, including politicians, journalists, and businessmen, as part of a broader investigation. He faces charges of “establishing and managing a criminal organization, taking bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data, and rigging a tender.” If convicted, he will be barred from running for president.
Despite his suspension as mayor by the Turkish Interior Ministry, Imamoglu has remained defiant. In a message shared on X via his lawyers, he urged people to continue protesting and participate in Sunday’s vote, declaring that the people of Turkey have had “enough” of Erdogan’s rule.
