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A Turkish court on March 23 jailed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, pending trial.
The court said that Imamoglu and at least 20 others were jailed as part of a corruption investigation. A separate ruling on a terror-related investigation has yet to be issued.
Imamoglu, who won the mayorship of Turkey’s most populous city last year with a landslide, has denied the charges, calling them “unimaginable accusations and slanders.”
“I am standing tall, I will never bow down,” Imamoglu said on the X social network, calling on supporters not to lose hope. “We will rip away this coup, this dark stain on our democracy all together.”
Imamoglu was arrested on March 19 before he was expected to be nominated as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) main candidate for the presidency. His arrest sparked a wave of mass protests and clashes with police across the country. Hundreds were arrested, some over just social media posts.
As the decision to jail Imamoglu was being taken, members of the CHP, the main opposition against Erdogan’s ruling alliance, were preparing to anoint him as the party’s candidate for the next presidential election which is scheduled until 2028.
Hundreds of people flocked to polling stations for the election to show support after the court ruling, after protests continued overnight in major Turkish cities.
The Turkish economy took a serious hit after the arrest of Imamoglu, with the government reportedly spending nearly $12 billion defending the lira.
The government, who denied that the investigations against Imamoglu were politically motivated, warned the leader’s supporters against protests, especially given a nationwide ban on street gatherings that was extended on March 22 for four more days.
Turkey has been through several similar events since Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party first took power. However, the worsening economic crisis could lead to more serious developments, even before the upcoming presidential elections.
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