Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu faced questioning in court on Saturday by prosecutors over allegations of corruption and terrorism ties after his detention by Turkish authorities earlier this week sparked protests across the country.
Prosecutors asked the court to jail Imamoglu – a key political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – and four of his aides pending a trial, his office said, according to the Reuters news agency. The court is expected to rule on the mayor’s detention early Sunday.
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of more than a dozen cities nationwide since Thursday, including the metropolis of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, in largely peaceful demonstrations against Imamoglu’s detention.
His supporters have denounced the detentions as politically motivated and part of an ongoing government crackdown on the opposition following a major defeat for Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in local and mayoral elections last year. Many believe the move is aimed at removing all possible contenders ahead of the next election for the president of the nation of about 85 million, and NATO member.
On Saturday, thousands of people gathered outside the Istanbul municipal building in the district of Sarachane, waving Turkish flags and chanting slogans, while a large crowd of Imamoglu’s supporters gathered outside the Caglayan courthouse as he arrived for his hearing.
Demonstrators attend a protest against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday. – Murad Sezer/Reuters
The protesters, defying a ban on street gatherings in the city which has been extended until March 26, were met with hundreds of police at both locations, who used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowds, according to Reuters. Demonstrators also threw firecrackers and other objects.
Protesters also clashed with police in the western coastal province of Izmir and Ankara for a third night in a row, with police firing water cannon at the crowds, Reuters reported.
Turkish authorities have detained 323 people during protests over the investigation, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said early Sunday, according to Reuters.
Imamoglu was elected mayor in 2019 and again in 2024. The next presidential vote is scheduled for 2028, but some analysts say Erdogan could call for early elections, which would allow him to bypass term limits.
The mayor was detained by authorities on Wednesday as part of corruption and terrorism investigations. Detention orders were also issued for about 100 others connected to the mayor, including his press adviser Murat Ongun, according to state-run news agency Anadolu.
Riot police officers use pepper spray to disperse demonstrators during a protest on Saturday. – Murad Sezer/Reuters
Imamoglu’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) says the charges are politically motivated, describing them as “a coup attempt.”
Addressing crowds in Istanbul on Saturday, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel called on protesters to stand “together for the young people, for Istanbul, for Ekrem Imamoglu” and other detainees.
“There are millions of people who are not afraid of him,” he said, referring to Erdogan.
Erdogan – himself a former mayor of Istanbul – has dismissed opposition anger as “theatrics” and “slogans” for which Turkey has no time. The government has warned against tying Erdogan or politics to Imamoglu’s arrest, and says the judiciary is independent in answer to criticism that arrests are politically motivated, according to Reuters.
The president warned in a post late Saturday on X that: “No one in Turkey is outside the scope of the law.” He added a direct warning to the CHP: “We will definitely not allow CHP and its supporters to disrupt public order with provocations and disturb the peace of our nation.”
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Saturday that “those who disrupt social order, threaten the peace and security of our nation, and seek chaos and provocation” will “not be tolerated.”
The interior ministry said Friday at least 16 police officers were injured during clashes with protesters across Turkey since the eruption of protests.
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