Protests erupted in Turkey after authorities detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure, days before his expected nomination as a presidential candidate.
İmamoğlu is widely regarded as one of the strongest challengers to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has led Turkey for over two decades.
He was detained on Wednesday on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group in what the main opposition party called “a coup against our next president.”
Police also detained 100 people as part of the investigation, including politicians, journalists and business figures. The Istanbul governor’s office has imposed four days of restrictions in the city.
Despite the measures, protests spread across Istanbul on Wednesday, with demonstrators gathering in streets, university campuses and even underground stations in rare displays of public opposition to the president.
The authorities also detained 37 suspects for allegedly making “provocative posts inciting crime and hatred” on social media in protest against the arrests and were continuing efforts to track down other suspects, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on the X social media platform.
The minister said 18.6 million posts about İmamoğlu were shared on X in less than 24 hours after his detention.
In a statement late on Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office also said control of İmamoğlu’s co-owned construction company had been taken over by a court following an investigation into alleged financial crime.
İmamoğlu, who became Istanbul’s mayor in 2019 by inflicting a major defeat on Erdoğan’s ruling conservative Justice and Development Party (AK Party), has dismissed the charges against him.
His arrest has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and rights groups, who accuse Erdoğan’s government of using the judiciary to suppress political rivals ahead of elections.
Turkey has seen increasing crackdowns on dissent in recent years, with journalists, activists and political opponents frequently arrested on terrorism-related charges. İmamoğlu’s detention is expected to escalate tensions in the country, with opposition leaders calling for continued protests in defiance of the restrictions.
He was detained on Wednesday on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group in what the main opposition party called “a coup against our next president.”
Police also detained 100 people as part of the investigation, including politicians, journalists and business figures. The Istanbul governor’s office has imposed four days of restrictions in the city.
Despite the measures, protests spread across Istanbul on Wednesday, with demonstrators gathering in streets, university campuses and even underground stations in rare displays of public opposition to the president.
There were also reports of the police using pepper spray on protesters at Istanbul University.Bu Millet Büyüktür! pic.twitter.com/Pgxkty4uLK
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 19, 2025
The authorities also detained 37 suspects for allegedly making “provocative posts inciting crime and hatred” on social media in protest against the arrests and were continuing efforts to track down other suspects, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on the X social media platform.
The minister said 18.6 million posts about İmamoğlu were shared on X in less than 24 hours after his detention.
In a statement late on Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office also said control of İmamoğlu’s co-owned construction company had been taken over by a court following an investigation into alleged financial crime.
İmamoğlu, who became Istanbul’s mayor in 2019 by inflicting a major defeat on Erdoğan’s ruling conservative Justice and Development Party (AK Party), has dismissed the charges against him.
His arrest has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and rights groups, who accuse Erdoğan’s government of using the judiciary to suppress political rivals ahead of elections.
Turkey has seen increasing crackdowns on dissent in recent years, with journalists, activists and political opponents frequently arrested on terrorism-related charges. İmamoğlu’s detention is expected to escalate tensions in the country, with opposition leaders calling for continued protests in defiance of the restrictions.
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