The Istanbul Criminal Court has arrested the mayor of the city, Ekrem İmamoğlu on charges of leading a criminal organization and bribery, Turkish media reported.
The mayor's arrest took place as part of a corruption and fraud case involving 560 billion lira. In addition, judicial control measures have been imposed in connection with the investigation of a terrorism case.
In total, the prosecutor has requested the arrest of almost 90 people as part of the corruption case. Some of them have been released on bail and placed under judicial control.
Detention of the politician
The mayor of Istanbul was detained this Wednesday, March 19. During his testimony, which lasted about five hours, he denied all charges against him. İmamoğlu emphasized that he "does not intend to give in" to pressure from the authorities. A total of 100 arrest warrants have been issued, targeting the mayor's assistants, businessmen and journalists. The city's prosecutor general has accused the mayor of accepting bribes from construction companies that won tenders and extorting money from large businesses. The prosecutor's office notes that İmamoğlu headed an organized crime group and appointed people who were personally loyal to him to key positions in the city. He has also been accused of forming the political alliance "People's Democratic Congress", which included representatives of the PKK, which is banned in the country.
In turn, Istanbul University has decided to annul İmamoğlu's diploma, who is considered the main opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming presidential elections. Without a diploma, İmamoğlu will not be able to run for president, since the Turkish Constitution requires candidates to have higher education.
Protests in Türkiye
After the arrest of the mayor, a temporary ban on rallies and demonstrations was imposed in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Despite the restrictions, mass protests have erupted in major cities across the country and have been going on for several days. During some of them, law enforcement officers used rubber bullets and tear gas.
