People protest against the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Istanbul: Turkey has been plunged into a political crisis after authorities arrested Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and the top rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on accusations of corruption and supporting terrorism.
The biggest protests in more than a decade have erupted across the country, with Imamoglu ousted from his position and jailed hours before Turkey’s main opposition party designated him its candidate in the next presidential election.
Imamoglu has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. Many people have accused the government of using the courts to sideline a perceived political threat to Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2003, and have called for his release.
Who is Ekrem Imamoglu
Imamoglu became the mayor of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city and economic engine, in 2019, after defeating a candidate backed by Erdogan. He was reelected twice, and some polls suggest he could beat Erdogan in a head-to-head race for the presidency.
On March 19, scores of police officers arrested Imamoglu at his home after state prosecutors accused him of corruption in municipal business and supporting terrorism. Four days later, the government removed him from office and jailed him pending trial on the corruption charges.
That same day, Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, held a primary to choose Imamoglu as its candidate in the next presidential election. Millions of party members from across the country voted, and nonparty members cast symbolic ballots to voice their support for him.
Imamoglu has vowed to fight the government. But his detention is not the only hurdle he faces in seeking the presidency. The day before his arrest, his university annulled his diploma, which could preclude him from a presidential bid. He faces an array of other court cases, too, including some that could see him temporarily barred from politics. He has called them politically motivated, too, and is contesting them in court.
What is the government saying?
State prosecutors accused Imamoglu of leading a criminal organization and overseeing bribery, bid rigging and other financial misdeeds at City Hall. They also accused him of supporting terrorism through his political coordination with a pro-Kurdish group during last year’s municipal elections, a claim that is still under investigation.
Government officials say the accusations are not politically motivated and have called on Turks to have faith in the courts and wait for the legal process to conclude. The government has also issued protest bans in major cities, limited access to social media sites and flooded pro-government news channels with leaks aimed at indicating Imamoglu’s guilt.
Security forces have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protests. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has said that more than 1,100 people have been detained in relation to the protests following Imamoglu’s arrest and that more than 100 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators.
“Some circles in recent days are abusing the right to demonstrate, attempting to disrupt public order and attack our police officers as they fan street events,” Yerlikaya said in a post on the social platform X. “Such actions aim to disrupt the peace and safety of our people.”
What could this mean for Turkey’s future?
The moves against Imamoglu are the latest examples of what Erdogan’s critics call his increasingly authoritarian tactics. In his more than two decades in power, Erdogan has gathered state power in his hands while extending his influence over the news media and the judiciary.
Erdogan’s second term expires in 2028. The constitution limits presidents to two full terms, but he could legally run again if parliament called for early elections and cut short his second mandate.
If Imamoglu, 54, can escape his legal troubles, that would put him in a head-to-head race with Erdogan, 71. The president has not said whether he will run, but he has no clear successor and many people expect him to do so.
Turkey’s stock market and the value of its currency have dropped substantially since Imamoglu’s arrest, although they have since regained some of their losses. Some investors, however, could avoid the country out of fears about the rule-of-law and the possibility of more instability.
Some European leaders have criticized Imamoglu’s arrest as anti-democratic, but senior U.S. officials have said little about it.
Recent global events may have left Erdogan in a good position. The Trump administration has expressed few concerns for how U.S. partners govern their countries. And fear that the United States will withdraw support for Ukraine in its war with Russia has led European countries to seek greater defense ties with Turkey that they may not want to risk jeopardizing.