A Turkish court on Sunday jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, President Tayyip Erdoğan’s top political rival, despite widespread protests against his detention and the allegations against him.
Prosecutors have accused İmamoğlu of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, saying he is suspected of leading a “criminal organization.” He is awaiting trial on those charges.
Detention orders have also been issued for close to 100 individuals connected with İmamoğlu, including his press adviser, Murat Ongun, CNN cited local media Anadolu as reporting.
İmamoğlu was elected mayor of Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city, in 2019 and again in 2024. He is the opposition Republican People’s Party’s likely presidential nominee. The party has said the charges against him are politically motivated, describing them as “a coup attempt.”
In a post on X hours before his jailing, İmamoğlu wrote: “The walls of fear have been overcome, now there is a nation,” referring to a protest that was scheduled in Istanbul’s Sarachane Park Saturday night.
