A Turkish court has ordered Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu jailed pending trial on graft charges, local media reported -- a move that is likely to intensify the largest wave of protests against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in over a decade.
The move comes as Imamoglu was expected to be selected as the opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) 2028 presidential candidate in a ballot on March 23.
The court’s decision on March 23 to formally charge and incarcerate Imamoglu, widely seen as Erdogan’s main political rival, follows days of mounting criticism from Turkey’s main opposition party, European leaders, and tens of thousands of protesters who say the actions against him are politically motivated and undemocratic.
Imamoglu, 54, and at least 20 others were jailed as part of one of two corruption investigations launched against him last week, according to the court.
In a separate terror-related case involving alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the court opted to release Imamoglu under judicial supervision, a decision which could prevent the government from appointing a trustee to oversee Istanbul’s municipal leadership.
The mayor -- who is a member of the CHP, the main opposition against Erdogan's ruling alliance -- has denied all the allegations against him, describing them as “unimaginable accusations and slanders.”
The decision to jail Imamoglu on March 23 came a day after thousands of his supporters protested in front of the city’s courthouse where he was undergoing hours of questioning over the allegations of corruption and links to terror groups.
Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency says the Istanbul mayor is among nearly 100 people, including businessmen and journalists, for whom arrest warrants have been issued. The charges run the gamut from leading a criminal organization and extortion to bribery and illegally accessing personal data.
The arrest of Imamoglu and others has further intensified political tensions and sparked protests across Turkey, with demonstrators rallying in several cities to express support for him.
Police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters on March 22 as the crowd in Istanbul tossed firecrackers and other objects at security personnel.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on social media that more than 340 people had been detained in protests in major cities.
“There will be no tolerance for those who seek to violate societal order, threaten the people’s peace and security, and pursue chaos and provocation,” he said, naming the cities, which included Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Canakkale, Eskisehir, Konya, and Edirne.
However, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, who is also a member of the CHP, told reporters on March 23 that jailing his colleague was a disgrace for the judicial system.
Ozgur Ozel, chairman of the CHP, slammed Imamoglu's detention as an "attempted coup against our next president."
Several European countries have voiced concern over the developments in Istanbul, saying they feared the consequences for democracy over the move.
“The arrest of the mayor is deeply concerning,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, told reporters in Brussels.
“Turkey must uphold the democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials.”
Many critics have said the arrest is driven by political calculations and that it is an attempt to remove a popular opposition figure and challenger to Erdogan in the next presidential race.
The government rejects the accusations that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated, insisting that the country's courts are independent entities.
Imamoglu tops Erdogan in some opinion polls. The next election is technically scheduled for 2028. However, Erdogan has reached his two-term limit as president after having earlier served as the country's prime minister.
If he seeks to run again, as expected, he must either call an early election or change the constitution.
