Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s mayor and a leading opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been formally arrested and charged with multiple offences, including corruption and managing a criminal organisation.

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Who is Ekrem Imamoglu?

Imamoglu, widely seen as the frontrunner to become the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election, is one of Turkey’s most popular political figures. He is expected to be officially selected in a party ballot on Sunday.

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The 54-year-old stunned Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in last year’s municipal elections by securing a second term as mayor of Istanbul. The result was described by many commentators as “Erdogan’s worst defeat ever.”

Charges against Ekrem Imamoglu

Imamoglu was detained on Wednesday as part of a wider investigation involving over 100 people, including other politicians, journalists, and business figures.

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His arrest has now been confirmed, and he faces charges of “establishing and managing a criminal organisation, taking bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data, and rigging a tender.”

Prosecutors are also seeking to charge him with “aiding an armed terrorist organisation,” but the court has said this was “not deemed necessary at this stage.”

Imamoglu denies all allegations and insists the case is politically driven. “I will never bow,” he wrote on X before being taken into custody. In another post, he called the arrest a “black stain on our democracy” and criticised what he said were breaches in legal procedure.

Also read: Istanbul court formally places mayor under arrest on graft charges

Local media report that he has been transferred to Marmara Prison in Silivri while awaiting trial.

Protests and political fallout

Imamoglu’s detention has triggered widespread outrage, leading to some of the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade. Thousands of people have joined demonstrations across the country, demanding his release and accusing the government of using the judiciary for political gain.

Authorities responded with a four-day ban on public gatherings in Istanbul, which has since been extended to Ankara and Izmir as protests spread. Riot police have clashed with demonstrators, firing water cannons and pepper spray into crowds. Turkish officials say 343 people were arrested on Friday night alone.

On Saturday, even before demonstrations had begun, tear gas filled the air outside the mayor’s office in Istanbul.

President Erdogan has condemned the protests and accused the CHP of attempting to “disturb the peace and polarise our people.”

One day before his arrest, Istanbul University announced that Imamoglu’s degree was being revoked due to alleged irregularities. If upheld, this decision could prevent him from running for president, as the Turkish constitution requires presidential candidates to have completed higher education.

Imamoglu’s legal team has said they will challenge the university's decision at the Constitutional Court and, if necessary, the European Court of Human Rights.

Despite his arrest, Imamoglu remains eligible to stand as a presidential candidate unless convicted. The final decision on his candidacy will rest with the Supreme Election Council.

The CHP, which had formed a de facto alliance with the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) in the last local elections, has rejected the charges against Imamoglu. DEM has been accused of links to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it denies.

The Turkish Ministry of Justice has pushed back against suggestions that Erdogan was behind the arrests, insisting the judiciary operates independently.

Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for 22 years as both prime minister and president, is barred by term limits from running again in 2028 unless the constitution is changed.

(With inputs from agencies)