Court Amortization on corruption claims – DW – 03/23/2025

The Turkish Home Ministry said Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamogur was suspended “temporarily” after being formally arrested on graft charges.

The Istanbul City Council, which is the majority of the main opposition CHP, is expected to elect a proxy mayor in the next few days after the removal of Imamoguru.

Additionally, two other district mayors have also been removed, according to the ministry.

The German Foreign Ministry described the formal arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamogur as a retreat in Turkey’s democracy, urging fair trials and compliance with the rule of law.

“Political competition should not be carried out through courts or prisons,” a foreign ministry spokesman told Berlin.

“We hope that this allegation will be investigated transparently as soon as possible and that the lawsuit will be filed under the rule of law,” the spokesman said.

The same applies to demonstrators who have been detained, he added.

Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamogul, imprisoned, urged Turkish citizens to fight for their rights and participate in protests around the country.

“Turkey has awakened to a great betrayal today. The judicial process is not the judicial process. It is a fully judged enforcement,” he wrote to X.

Imamoguru urged his fellow citizens to take part in the primary election organized by his opposition CHP party. “After that, meet at Sarachan Square in Istanbul, in other cities, and give your voice,” he added.

“It’s a day to take responsibility for those who stole the will of the people and participate in the struggle,” Imamoguru wrote.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in the demonstrations, and hundreds have been arrested since Imamoguru’s arrest on Wednesday.

Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoguru is currently on his way to prison, but heading to the presidency, Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the leading opposition CHP party, was quoted as saying by the Reuters agency.

Ozel added that the mayor was arrested for pose an election threat to President Tayyip Erdogan.

The CHP leader made a comment after Imamoglu voted for an internal CHP vote to determine the presidential candidate for the next election, the only name on the list. Ozel also said the CHP opposes the court’s decision to jail Imamoguru.

The Istanbul court has refused to formally arrest Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamogul in an investigation into “terrorism” according to an official statement.

“In relation to the financial investigation, it has been decided that the suspect Ekrem Imamoguru will be detained and remanded on charges of establishing and guiding a criminal organization, accepting bribery, misconduct in his duties, illegal records of personal data and bid rigging,” the court ruled.

“There is a strong suspicion that we will support armed terrorist groups, but it is not believed that there is a need to make a decision on this particular accusation at this stage.

Imamogul was arrested Wednesday in connection with both probes. The arrest sparked a four-day massive protest in Türkiye.

Turkish Home Minister Ali Erikaya said 323 people were arrested on Saturday evening, with protests over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamgol.

“An attempt to undermine public order is not permitted!” he added.

Tens of thousands of people have taken them on the streets in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and other cities, against the ban. More than 340 protesters were also arrested Friday night.

Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoguru said he would not resign after the court ruled that he was tried and imprisoned in a corruption investigation.

“We hold hands and uproot this blow, this black stain of our democracy… I’m tall and I won’t bow,” Imamoguru said in X’s post.

Imamoguru also urged his supporters not to lose hope. “Never be sad, never be depressed, don’t lose hope,” he wrote.

He also invited 86 million compatriots to vote and “proclaim the struggle for democracy and justice to the whole world.”

The arrest of Iqtambur Mayor Ekrem Imamogul on Wednesday caused some of Turkey’s biggest acts of civil disobedience for more than a decade. The protesters include many university students who fear that their country is moving in a more authoritarian direction.

The official arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamogul came when his Republican People’s Party (CHP) began to launch primary elections to nominate him as presidential candidate despite his detention.

The opposition also set up a nationally iconic “solidarity box” allowing non-members to show support for the mayor.

Imamogul is considered Receptacle Tayip Erdogan’s biggest rival. The presidential election in Turkey is scheduled for 2028, but Erdogan can only run again if constitutional amendments are passed or early elections are called.

Also, CHP member Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas criticized the lack of confidentiality in the lawsuit against Imamoguru.

“To be honest, we’re embarrassed on behalf of the legal system,” he said.

Turkey has faced anti-government protests since Mayor Ekrem Imamogur was arrested in the attack early on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old mayor was taken into custody with dozens of other prominent figures, including two district mayors.

On Friday evening, protesters organizers said about 300,000 protesters had attended a rally outside Istanbul City Hall. At the edge of the rally, demonstrators clashed with riot police as police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. Read all the stories about Friday’s protest here.

Opposition parties view Imamogul’s detention as a politically led attempt to eliminate one of Erdogan’s important rivals.

According to the state news agency, the Turkish court imprisoned Mayor Ekrem Imamogur, who has been holding trial on Sunday.

Imamoguru, a potential challenger to longtime conservative Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, is being charged with corruption. Imamoguru also has suspicions of terrorism as Kurdish militants are suspected of ties with Kurdish militants, but terrorist accusations should be addressed in a separate trial.

On Sunday, the court said Imamoguru and at least 20 people were jailed as part of a corruption investigation.

His supporters say the arrest was a politically motivated attempt to remove challengers popular with the rules of over 20 years.