A court on Sunday ordered the jailing of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and several co-defendants on corruption charges, sparking outrage from Turkey’s main opposition and widespread protests across the country.
Here’s what we know about the case, which the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has described as a “political coup” orchestrated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Who is Ekrem İmamoğlu?
İmamoğlu was elected mayor of İstanbul in 2019 and won re-election in 2024. His victory in Turkey’s largest city, home to nearly 16 million people and the country’s financial hub, positioned the 53-year-old as Erdoğan’s most prominent political rival.
What is he accused of?
İmamoğlu was detained early Wednesday on accusations of corruption and “supporting a terrorist organization,” stemming in part from an electoral alliance between the CHP and a pro-Kurdish party that authorities claim has ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies.
According to an arrest order reviewed by Agence France-Presse, İmamoğlu is accused of “establishing and leading a criminal organization; accepting bribes; corruption; illegally recording personal data; and rigging public tenders.”
The court said there was “strong suspicion” of support for an armed terrorist organization but said detention on financial crimes alone was sufficient at this stage.
CHP in the crosshairs
About 90 people were detained Wednesday, including two district mayors from İstanbul. One was accused of corruption, the other of terrorism-related activities.
Both are members of the CHP, a secular, social-democratic party established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.
The CHP holds 134 seats in parliament, while Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) holds 272. In the March 2024 local elections, the CHP won 35 of Turkey’s 81 provincial capitals — 11 more than the AKP — including major cities such as Ankara, İzmir, Antalya and Bursa.
Controversial timing
İmamoğlu was set to be formally nominated Sunday as the CHP’s presidential candidate for the 2028 election in a party primary where he is the sole contender.
On Tuesday, hours before his detention, Turkish authorities annulled his university diploma— a move that could disqualify him from running, as the constitution requires presidential candidates to hold a degree in higher education.
İmamoğlu was also barred from running in the 2023 presidential race due to a conviction for “insulting” members of Turkey’s High Electoral Board. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, and his appeal is still pending.
Despite his detention, the CHP proceeded with Sunday’s primary, encouraging public participation regardless of party membership in an effort to frame the vote as a national referendum on İmamoğlu’s legitimacy.
Biggest protests since 2013
İmamoğlu’s detention has triggered the largest street demonstrations in Turkey since the 2013 Gezi Park protests.
Hundreds of thousands gathered in İstanbul on Friday and Saturday evenings. Major demonstrations also took place in Ankara and İzmir.
According to an AFP tally, protests have occurred in at least 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces.
Analysts say the demonstrations, largely driven by young people, reflect broader frustrations beyond İmamoğlu’s case — ranging from economic grievances to concerns over democratic backsliding.
© Agence France-Presse