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Turkish police have detained Mayor Ekrem Imamolu, president of President Receptacle Tayip Erdogan’s main political challenger, Mayor Ekrem Imamolu, in opposition to a massive government crackdown.
Imamol’s detention on Wednesday was part of an investigation into alleged terrorism ties stemming from support he may have received from pro-Kurdish political groups for the 2024 mayoral reelection campaign, state-run Anadolu news agency said.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was set to name Imamomor, one of the nation’s most popular politicians, as presidential candidate in Sunday’s primary.
The election is scheduled for 2028, but the party says it should force Congress to call a snap vote by name of the candidate.
CHP Chairman Özgurözel condemned the detention, saying, “We are meeting face to face in an attempt to hold a coup against the next president.”
The Turkish lira fell by 10% against the dollar after detention, with the country’s benchmark BIST 100 index falling almost 7% in early morning trading.
Erdogan is a strongman who has towered over Turkish politics for over 20 years, especially after surviving the attempted 2016 coup, he has leapt down an increasingly authoritarian path.
Over the past few weeks, his government has embarked on crackdowns that target politicians on the left and right, journalists, scholars, and even astrologers who have wandered into election predictions as Erdogan’s rivals are hobbled.
Imamol is the most famous target and is already facing a probe’s spatch, mainly due to his political speech.
“Hundreds of police are at my door,” Imamol said in an audio message that his office shared early on Wednesday. “This immoral and tyrannical approach will undoubtedly be overturned by the will and resilience of our people.”
The mayor’s wife, Direk Imamor, told the television station that police arrived at their home when they finished their meal before dawn in Sahar during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan and were taken away at about 7:30am. According to news reports, he is in custody at Istanbul Central Police Station.
According to Anadolu, his detention has come in parallel with the issue of arrest warrants for another 99 people. The governor of Istanbul, appointed by Erdogan, has banned demonstrations across Istanbul for four days.
Authorities are also restricting access to social media platforms such as X, Instagram and YouTube, Global Internet Monitor NetBlocks reports.
Imamor’s detention comes the day after Istanbul University cancels his higher education degree.
Imamol was re-elected last year with a margin of more than 11% since 2002 as voters punished Erdogan’s ruling party for managing a long-term living crisis.
