Turkey suspends Imamoglu’s mayoral duties, keeps him under arrest as more protests expected
The Istanbul mayor was temporarily suspended from his duties after his formal arrest by an Istanbul court on Sunday.
ANKARA — Turkish authorities on Sunday temporarily suspended Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a potential presidential contender, from his mayoral duties after an Istanbul court formally arrested him early Sunday, pending the outcome of his trial on corruption charges.
The Interior Ministry announced later Sunday that both Imamoglu and two other Istanbul district mayors, Belikduzu Mayor Mahmet Murat Calik and Sisli Mayor Resul Emrah Sahan, who were arrested along with him, had been temporarily suspended from their duties.
Turkish authorities also replaced Sahan with a state official following his arrest on terror charges earlier Sunday, the ministry said. Had Imamoglu been formally arrested on terror-related charges, it could have paved the way for a trustee to be appointed to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality as well.
Imamoglu was detained over corruption and terrorism-related accusations on Wednesday, sparking mass protests across Turkey as opposition voices called the detention a politically motivated move against a key Erdogan rival. The Turkish government strongly denies the accusation, insisting that the judiciary operates independently.
An Istanbul court formally arrested him early Sunday on corruption charges but ruled that there was no need for an arrest on terrorism accusations.
The Istanbul Municipal Council will meet next Wednesday and elect a deputy to replace Imamoglu.
The ruling came on the same day as the primary for the Republican People's Party (CHP). Imamoglu is expected to be confirmed as the main opposition candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
People from across Turkey formed long lines at CHP election centers.
On Saturday night, when Imamoglu was taken to an Istanbul courthouse, hundreds of thousands gathered outside Istanbul's city hall for the largest of four consecutive nights of protests, while thousands more took to the streets across Turkey.
Entry restrictions to Istanbul
The Istanbul governor's office on Saturday restricted entry into the province, Turkey’s largest metropolis and financial hub.
“Individuals, groups and vehicles from districts within our province or neighboring provinces, who are likely to participate in illegal actions either individually or collectively, will not be allowed to enter or exit our province using provincial routes,” the statement read.
The public demonstration ban, which has been in place since Wednesday in the province, was extended for another four days.
The measure came on top of transportation restrictions around Istanbul's city hall, the police headquarters and the courthouse.
Access to social media platforms including X, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram remained restricted for several days, according to UK-based internet watchdog NetBlocks. X suspended dozens of accounts, reportedly at the request of Turkish authorities.
Hundreds of protesters detained
Turkish authorities have detained a total of 763 demonstrators since Imamoglu’s detention on March 19, according to a tally based on statements from Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Of them, more than 320 were taken into custody in Istanbul during overnight protests on Saturday, Yerlikaya announced early Sunday.
The detentions earlier this week took place across nine provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and the conservative stronghold of Konya in central Anatolia, Yerlikaya said on Saturday.
Separately, more than 90 people were detained over provocative social media posts, according to authorities.
Local authorities in the capital Ankara and the Aegean port city of Izmir also imposed public demonstration bans, but thousands in both cities took to the streets, where police responded with water cannons and pepper spray.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel also announced earlier this week that the party would hold an extraordinary convention on April 6 to prevent the potential takeover of the party’s leadership by the government.
Speculation has been rife since the beginning of the week that the government’s next move could involve appointing a trustee to the CHP, replacing its leader, Ozel, as part of a new prosecutorial probe into alleged irregularities during the party’s November 2023 convention.
A day before Imamoglu’s detention, Istanbul University revoked his college degree, citing irregularities in his 1990 undergraduate transfer from a Turkish Cypriot university to its School of Business Administration. A university degree is a constitutional requirement for presidential candidates in Turkey.
AKP heavyweights step in, express concern
Since Thursday, when the protests began to grow, warnings from figures close to Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) also increased.
Among them is former Turkish President Abdullah Gul, one of the founders of the AKP and a longtime Erdogan ally. “I am closely following the process with concern,” Gul told Turkey's Karar newspaper in an interview published Saturday.
“Injustices once done to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and myself were not accepted by the public conscience," Gul said. "Similar wrongs should not be done to Ekrem Imamoglu, who was elected mayor by the will of the people.”
Erdogan accuses CHP of stirring up streets
Turkish government officials strongly reject any political interference in the two separate terrorism and corruption investigations launched into Imamoglu and have accused the main opposition of attempting to cover up the charges against Imamoglu and more than 90 others detained alongside him by inciting public unrest.
Turkey "is a country where the rule of law prevails, not the law of the powerful," Erdogan posted on X on Saturday. He also accused the main opposition party of trying to influence justice through what he described as “street terrorism.”
Supporters of opposition parties as well as national and international rights groups view the arrest as politically motivated.
International bodies including the European Union have long criticized the erosion of judicial independence and increasing authoritarian rule in Turkey, particularly since its transition to an executive presidential system under Erdogan in 2018.
This is a developing story and has been updated since initial publication.
