Istanbul’s Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, has been arrested in accordance with reports, as stated by CNN Turk. He is accused of being the leader of a criminal organization, with additional allegations of bribery and the manipulation of tenders. Furthermore, his party, the CHP, is suspected of supporting the PKK. Around 100 other individuals have also been arrested alongside the mayor.
Imamoglu is considered the most prominent rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Initially, he was set to be officially nominated as the presidential candidate for the 2028 election on Sunday, but obstacles were recently placed in his way. The Istanbul University announced on Tuesday that it had declared Imamoglu’s degree invalid due to irregularities, making it impossible for him to run for the presidency without a valid degree.
Imamoglu was first elected as the mayor of the largest and most populous city in Turkey in 2019. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2028, but early elections are considered likely.