Turkish prosecutors demand Istanbul mayor be jailed pending terrorism, corruption trial

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 10:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Turkish prosecutors person asked a tribunal to jailhouse Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and 4 of his aides pending proceedings connected coercion and corruption charges, Imamoglu's bureau said, arsenic thousands nationwide protestation what they telephone his undemocratic detention.

Imamoglu, a cardinal absorption fig and imaginable challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan, was detained connected Wednesday connected charges specified arsenic graft and aiding a violent group.

He has denied the charges, calling them "unimaginable accusations and slanders." The tribunal is expected to regularisation connected Imamoglu's detention aboriginal connected Sunday.

If Imamoglu is arrested connected coercion charges, this would let the authorities to name a trustee to the municipality, according to Turkish law.

On Saturday, thousands of radical gathered extracurricular the Istanbul municipality gathering and the main courthouse, with hundreds of constabulary stationed astatine some locations utilizing teardrop state and capsicum spray pellets to disperse protesters, arsenic the assemblage hurled firecrackers and different objects astatine them.

Protesters besides clashed with constabulary successful the occidental coastal state of Izmir and the superior Ankara for a 3rd nighttime successful a row, with constabulary firing h2o cannon astatine the crowds.

Turkish authorities person detained 323 radical during protests implicit the investigation, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said aboriginal connected Sunday.

"No effort to harm nationalist bid volition beryllium allowed," the curate said successful a statement.

Imamoglu's Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition, has condemned the detention arsenic politically motivated and has urged supporters to show lawfully.

The authorities denies immoderate power implicit the substance and says the judiciary is independent.

Imamoglu, 54, who leads Erdogan successful immoderate sentiment polls, was owed to beryllium named the CHP's authoritative statesmanlike campaigner wrong days.

WATCH | Hundreds rally to support Istanbul mayor, protestation Erdogan government: 

The adjacent predetermination is acceptable for 2028, but Erdogan has reached his two-term bounds arsenic president aft antecedently serving arsenic premier minister. If helium wishes to tally again, helium indispensable telephone an aboriginal predetermination oregon alteration the constitution.

On Saturday, the president, who has tally the state for much than 22 years, accused the CHP of trying to "provoke our nation," adding they would not tolerate vandalism.