News Brief
Erdogan’s Key Political Rival Jailed on Corruption Charges, Sparks Protests Across Turkey
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been formally arrested and jailed pending trial over corruption charges, Sky News reported.
Imamoglu was first detained on Wednesday, triggering mass protests across Turkey which have since intensified.
A prominent member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Imamoglu has also been also accused of having ties to a terrorist organisation.
On the fourth consecutive night of unrest, protesters clashed with security forces as Imamoglu faced further questioning.
He has rejected all allegations, while critics argue that his arrest is a strategic move to bar him from contesting the 2028 presidential election, deepening concerns over Turkey's democracy and the rule of law.
However, government officials have dismissed claims that legal proceedings against opposition figures are politically driven, insisting that the judiciary in Turkey functions autonomously.
According to Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, Imamoglu was interrogated for approximately five hours on Saturday as part of an investigation into allegations that he assisted the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
On Friday, he had spent four hours answering questions related to corruption charges.
Prosecutors have also interrogated around 90 other individuals in connection with the case.
Among those questioned are several high-profile figures, including two district mayors.
Mansur Yavas, the mayor of Ankara and another leader of Republican's People's Party, condemned the handling of Imamoglu’s case.
Earlier on Saturday, Erdogan warned that his government would not tolerate street protests and accused the opposition party of links to corruption and extremist organisations.
"The days of going out into the streets, taking left-wing organisations, extremists, and vandals with you... are now behind us," he said.
While protests have remained largely peaceful, tensions escalated on Saturday when demonstrators attempting to breach barricades in Istanbul’s main square threw flares, stones, and other objects at police who responded with pepper spray.
In Ankara, police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
Imamoglu's arrest came ahead of the Republican People's Party’s presidential primary on Sunday (23 March), where he is expected to secure the nomination.
The party's leader, Ozgur Ozel, confirmed that the primary—where nearly 1.5 million delegates are eligible to vote—will proceed as scheduled.
Imamoglu’s election as Istanbul’s mayor in March 2019 dealt a significant setback to Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which had held power in the city for a quarter of a century.
Following Imamoglu’s victory, the ruling AKP disputed the municipal election outcome, citing alleged irregularities.
A re-run of the election was ordered in the following months, but Imamoglu once again emerged victorious.
