Imamoglu arrest prompts thousands to defy Turkey protest ban

Demonstrations protesting the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu continued for a second day on Thursday as anger mounts over the imprisonment of a leading rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Imamoglu remains in custody after he was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, along with around 100 others, over allegations of extortion, money laundering and irregularities concerning tenders and procurements, all of which he has denied.

The mayor's supporters see his arrest as a politically motivated move to jail one of the country’s most popular politicians ahead of a Republican People’s Party (CHP) primary this weekend that could see him confirmed as the main opposition party's presidential candidate

Among widespread protests across the country, students from Imamoglu’s alma mater Istanbul University marched on Thursday against both the mayor’s arrest and the revocation of his degree, a move that was widely seen as a means to disqualify his candidacy for president, which constitutionally requires a degree.

Protesters chanted slogans such as "we will win by resisting!" and "government resign!"

A statement released by students at the university on Thursday, after they assembled at the university’s main gate, promised they would continue to struggle “in the streets, faculties and universities” against the government’s actions.

“As students of Istanbul University, we once again declare that we find the decision of our university's board of directors to cancel the diploma of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who announced his candidacy for the presidency, unacceptable,” it said. 

“It is clear that this decision does not concern only one person, but is a step that directly targets democracy and constitutes an intervention in the elections.”

Fears for democracy

Imamoglu was first elected mayor of Istanbul in April 2019, but that vote was overturned by the Supreme Electoral Council after complaints from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) over alleged irregularities. The vote was re-run and Imamoglu was re-elected with a larger share of the vote.

He has been saddled with a number of legal problems since then. In 2022, Imamoglu was charged with insulting a public official for allegedly calling the electoral council “foolish” in 2019 over its decision to cancel that April’s mayoral elections.

Imamoglu denied he had been referring to the council in his comments, and was instead speaking about the government. But he was sentenced to more than two years in prison and banned from holding political office.

Ekrem Imamoglu: The Istanbul opposition mayor arrested in Turkey

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Having appealed the ruling - which is still ongoing - he has avoided prison and the ban has yet to take effect.

News of his arrest on Wednesday provoked a massive outpouring onto the streets, despite a four-day restriction on demonstrations and other political activity issued at the same time as Imamoglu's arrest.

Speaking to protesters in Istanbul on Wednesday, Imamoglu’s wife Dilek said the arrest of her husband was an attack on Turkey’s democracy.

“Today, it is not just Ekrem Imamoglu who was detained, it is the will of 16 million people of Istanbul,” she told the crowd. 

“It is the hope for a more just, democratic Republic of Turkey that was detained.”

Although Erdogan and the AKP won the 2023 presidential and general elections, their once seemingly unstoppable electoral machine has come under increasing pressure in recent years, as a combination of an economic crisis and concerns about growing authoritarianism have sapped their support.

The AKP and their allies suffered arguably their worst election results locally in 2024, with the CHP sweeping up many regions of the country, including another win for Imamoglu in Istanbul.

Polling has shown that should Imamoglu be selected by the CHP as their next presidential candidate, he stands a real chance of beating Erdogan, who has been the leading figure in Turkish politics since 2003, first as prime minister and then, from 2014, as president.

'Deep concern'

Following the arrest of Imamoglu, the Turkish lira was dealt a heavy blow that left it trading at around 38 to the dollar on Thursday. 

The Central Bank said it would draw on its foreign exchange reserves if needed to prevent further harm to the lira.

A number of foreign leaders condemned the arrest of Imamoglu.

The Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a member, issued a statement saying the arrest was against the will of the people, and described Imamoglu as Erdogan's "leading political rival".

'Today, it is not just Ekrem Imamoglu who was detained, it is the will of 16 million people of Istanbul'

- Dilek Imamoglu

France also expressed "deep concern" over the development, while Germany said it would discuss the matter with Turkish officials.

Domestically, Imamoglu's arrest was condemned by politicians across the political spectrum, including by former allies of Erdogan.

Ahmet Davutoglu, who served as both foreign minister and prime minister under Erdogan, described the arrest as the "greatest disgrace and scandal", and said the highest office in the land was being fought over "diploma wars".

Similarly, Fatih Erbakan, leader of the Islamist New Welfare Party - which was part of an electoral pact with Erdogan in 2023 - warned that "undermining justice and dealing a blow to the search for trust and stability that the economy needs is of no benefit to anyone".

Erbakan also compared Imamoglu's arrest to Erdogan's own arrest in 1999 while mayor of Istanbul for reading an Islamist poem, an incident that took place less than four years before he became prime minister.

"It is not right, nor is it a justified attitude, to make others experience the lawlessness you have experienced in the past, at an even higher pitch," said Erbakan.