Turkish police have arrested Ekrem İmamoğlu, the opposition Mayor of Istanbul, in a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown, NTV reported Tuesday.
İmamoğlu has been widely regarded as a leading presidential for 2028 and a prominent rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Authorities carried out a search of İmamoğlu’s residence in northern Istanbul, while over 100 individuals have been detained as part of the investigation.
The charges include corruption, bribery, and alleged cooperation with terrorist groups, particularly surrounding purported agreements between the mayor’s office and the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the lead-up to last year’s mayoral election.
According to the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, İmamoğlu is also the subject of a separate investigation for allegedly leading a criminal organization.
“I Will Not Give Up”
Before being taken into custody, İmamoğlu released a video message on the platform X, declaring his resolve to continue his political fight.
“I will not give up,” he said, in what many supporters are interpreting as a call to resist what they see as politically motivated persecution.
İmamoğlu’s arrest has already sparked outrage among opposition parties and civil rights advocates. He had recently emerged as the sole opposition candidate in the upcoming presidential primary and was viewed as the strongest challenger to Erdoğan in the 2028 election.
Calls for an early presidential vote are now growing, especially from opposition leaders who claim the arrest is an effort to sabotage İmamoğlu’s political ascent.
In the hours following the mayor's detention, Turkish authorities restricted access to major social media platforms, including YouTube, X, TikTok, and Instagram, according to the NetBlocks internet monitoring group.
The Turkish government has a history of limiting online access during politically sensitive events, particularly when public unrest is anticipated.
Escalating Legal Pressure
İmamoğlu has long been a thorn in the side of Erdoğan’s ruling AK Party, having won the Istanbul mayoral seat in 2019 in a stunning upset and again in a 2023 re-election despite heavy opposition pressure.
The latest development comes on the heels of a separate controversy on Tuesday, when a university in Istanbul voided İmamoğlu’s diploma, though no official reason was given.
Critics argue that these escalating legal and institutional moves are part of a coordinated campaign to undermine opposition leadership ahead of future national elections.
