Istanbul (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed on Sunday pending trial on a corruption charge by a Turkish court, state media and other broadcasters said.
Imamoglu, Erdogan’s primary political opponent, is being sent to prison following criticism from the main opposition party, European leaders, and thousands of protesters, who described the actions against him as politicized and undemocratic.
The court stated Imamoglu and at least 20 others were jailed as part of a corruption investigation, which was one of two opened against him last week.
The court decided to release the mayor under judicial control measures over a separate terror-related charge, broadcasters Halk TV and AHaber reported, making it more difficult for the government to appoint a trustee to manage the country’s largest city.
The charges have been denied by Imamoglu, who leads Erdogan in some polls, who calls them “unimaginable accusations and slanders”. Imamoglu was selected as the Republican People’s Party’s candidate for next year’s presidential election by members of it and the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the main opposition to Erdogan’s ruling alliance.
Is Imamoglu’s imprisonment politically motivated?
No general election is set before 2028. However, if Erdogan, who has been in power for 22 years, intends to run again, parliament must support an earlier election as the president will have reached his term limit by then. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas of the CHP stated on Sunday that imprisoning Imamoglu is a disgrace to the justice system.
The government asserts that the investigations are not politically motivated and emphasizes the independence of the courts. It has cautioned against protests, particularly in light of a nationwide ban on street gatherings that was extended on Saturday for an additional four days.
On Saturday, thousands assembled outside the Istanbul municipality and the main courthouse. Hundreds of police were deployed at both sites, utilizing tear gas and pepper spray to break up the crowd, which retaliated by throwing firecrackers and various other items.
While the majority of protests have remained peaceful, clashes erupted for a third consecutive night between demonstrators and police in the western coastal province of Izmir and the capital, Ankara, with law enforcement deploying water cannons against the crowds. Early Sunday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that Turkish authorities had detained 323 individuals amid the protests related to the investigation.
