(Adnkronos) – According to media reports, Turkish police have arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political opponents, as part of an investigation into alleged links to corruption and terrorism. The state-run Anadolu Agency says prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for about 100 other people. Authorities have closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days, in an apparent attempt to prevent protests following the arrest.
Turkey is also restricting access to numerous social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, the internet observatory Netblocks said. The arrest came after a raid on Ekrem Imamoglu’s home, a day after a university invalidated his bachelor’s degree, effectively disqualifying the popular opposition figure from running for president. Having a bachelor’s degree is a requirement to run for election under Turkish law.
The mayor’s party, the main opposition Republican People’s Party, will hold primaries on Sunday, where Imamoglu is expected to be chosen as the candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. The next presidential elections in Turkey are scheduled for 2028, but early elections are likely. “We are facing a great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged,” Imamoglu says in a video message posted on social media. He accuses the government of “usurping the will” of the people.
