The detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of İstanbul and a leading political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been met with global condemnation, leading analysts and observers to declare that Turkey is moving full speed ahead on its authoritarian path.
İmamoğlu was detained on Wednesday along with more than 80 others on corruption and terrorism-related charges, drawing immediate criticism from governments, politicians and rights groups, who labeled the arrests politically motivated.
Following with huge concern the news on Istanbul Mayor @ekrem_imamoglu's detention among 100 people along with a 4-day ban on demonstrations. Again, as in all moves of last months, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Full speed towards a complete authoritarian state. pic.twitter.com/UePEz3HWyj
— Nacho Sánchez Amor (@NachoSAmor) March 19, 2025
The European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, warned on social media that Turkey was moving “full speed towards a complete authoritarian state,” expressing deep concern over İmamoğlu’s detention and a ban on public demonstrations.
Amor’s predecessor, former rapporteur Kati Piri, echoed these concerns, describing İmamoğlu’s detention as “a major leap towards full autocracy by Erdoğan’s regime,” calling for serious consequences from the EU.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the detention of İmamoğlu was “deeply concerning”.
“Turkiye must uphold the democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials,” she told journalists on Wednesday. “So we want Turkiye to remain anchored to Europe, but this requires a clear commitment to democratic norms and practices, and it is key that Turkiye respects these fundamental principles.”
Malik Azmani, a Dutch member of the European Parliament representing Renew Europe, condemned İmamoğlu’s detention as politically driven.
“The arrest of İmamoğlu by Turkish police is a clear example of a politically driven move to undermine a key opposition figure,” Azmani said. “These anti-democratic acts are absolutely unacceptable, especially for an EU candidate country.”
The Party of European Socialists (PES), a coalition of Europe’s social-democratic parties, similarly condemned the move, describing it as a direct assault on democracy.
“We condemn the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu and 100 other people. This is a full-scale attack by Erdoğan on the democratic opposition and civil society in Turkey,” the PES stated on Facebook.
France said it was “deeply concerned” over the detention of İmamoğlu and several others on Wednesday, just days before he was due to be named the opposition candidate for the 2028 presidential election, Agence France-Presse reported.
“The arrests today could have heavy consequences on Turkish democracy,” the foreign ministry was quoted by AFP as saying.
Germany also expressed deep concern, with foreign ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer calling the arrests a “serious setback for democracy” in Turkey.
“The arrest is part of intensified legal measures to put pressure on İmamoğlu, widely seen as the strongest challenger to President Erdoğan,” Fischer was quoted by AFP as saying.
Reactions from political leaders highlighted broader worries about Turkey’s political trajectory.
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas voiced solidarity with İmamoğlu, calling his detention “an attack on democracy.”
“We are following the developments in Istanbul with great concern. The arrest of the elected mayor is the latest in a series of persecutions against our friend Ekrem,” Doukas said.
Turkey’s main opposition leader, Özgür Özel of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), described the events as a coup attempt, urging unity among opposition forces.
“Turkey is going through a coup against the next president. We are facing a coup attempt here,” Özel told reporters.
Deeply worrying with arrest of Istanbul mayor Imamoğlu
and a number of other people today. Is
will make its views known. https://t.co/V64x9WR9JS
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) March 19, 2025
Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt also weighed in and linked the situation to broader international trends.
“Deeply worrying with arrest of Istanbul mayor İmamoğlu and a number of other people today. Is Turkey in the shadow of Trump jumping in an authoritarian direction? I take it for granted that the EU will make its views known,” Bildt tweeted.
The last Istanbul mayor to be jailed by an authoritarian government eventually became President of Turkey https://t.co/paHU6S9tij
— Alexander Clarkson (@APHClarkson) March 19, 2025
Political analyst Alexander Clarkson noted the historical parallels, pointing out that Erdoğan himself once gained political momentum from imprisonment.
“The last Istanbul mayor to be jailed by an authoritarian government eventually became president of Turkey,” Clarkson said on social media.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called the arrests a “flagrant abuse,” with Turkey Director Emma Sinclair-Webb pointing to a broader pattern.
These mass detentions are part of a “pattern of politically motivated investigations” aimed at undermining Turkey’s opposition, Sinclair-Webb was quoted by Reuters as saying. She called for the immediate release of the detainees.
The crackdown sparked widespread alarm and condemnation on social media, with prominent analysts and observers emphasizing its significance.
2. In 1999, Turkey’s political system created its anti-hero, by jailing then Istanbul mayor Erdogan (on sham charges). He entered prison as a mayor, but left it as a political star. Arresting Imamoglu will have the same effect on his brand—catapulting him to political stardom.
— Soner Cagaptay (@SonerCagaptay) March 19, 2025
Political analyst Soner Çağaptay compared İmamoğlu’s arrest to Erdoğan’s imprisonment in 1999, suggesting it could similarly boost İmamoğlu’s political stature.
“In 1999, Turkey’s political system created its anti-hero by jailing then Istanbul Mayor Erdoğan. Arresting İmamoğlu will have the same effect, catapulting him to political stardom,” Çağaptay wrote in a widely shared social media post.
The police raid on Istanbul Mayor and opposition leader @ekrem_imamoglu’s headquarters, the arrest of 100 people, including all his aides, and the detention of journalists mark a dangerous escalation in Erdoğan’s crackdown on dissent. With İmamoğlu leading in the polls, this is… pic.twitter.com/kg74DfeA83
— European Democrats (@democrats_eu) March 19, 2025
European Democrats, a coalition of European liberal political forces, described the arrests as an alarming escalation of Erdoğan’s crackdown.
“Blocking social media, shutting down metro stations, and suppressing protests — these are the tactics of authoritarian regimes. Europe cannot stay silent,” they stated online.
Other commentators noted the broader implications for democracy and civil liberties in Turkey.
A self-coup happening in Turkey! Istanbul mayor and the man to beat Erdoğan–Ekrem İmamoğlu–is arrested. Social media restrictions and ban on demonstrations in place… Threatened by surging opposition, Erdoğan is taking advantage of geopolitics & going full authoritarian! 1/2
— Karabekir Akkoyunlu (karabekir.bsky.social) (@KarabekirENG) March 19, 2025
Political scientist Karabekir Akkoyunlu described the detention as part of a “self-coup,” criticizing the international community’s perceived silence.
“Threatened by surging opposition, Erdoğan is taking advantage of geopolitics and going full authoritarian,” Akkoyunlu wrote.
İmamoğlu has been Erdoğan’s most formidable opponent since he became mayor of İstanbul in 2019. After an initial annulment, his electoral victory was confirmed in a decisive re-run, making him a central figure in Turkish politics.
His political career, however, has faced repeated legal challenges widely seen as attempts to undermine his candidacy for Turkey’s presidency.
In 2022 İmamoğlu was sentenced to more than two years in prison for allegedly insulting election officials. Although he appealed the sentence, the legal uncertainties kept him from running for the presidency in 2023.
Since then, new legal actions have been initiated against him, including a case alleging corruption linked to his tenure as district mayor and accusations of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).