Mass Protests Erupt as Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu Jailed on Day of Presidential Nomination

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By Newsroom with Agencies

Istanbul, Turkey – In a dramatic turn of events, tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Istanbul on the same day that the Republican People’s Party (CHP) officially nominated its sole presidential candidate in a primary vote. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the embattled mayor of Turkey’s largest city and a fierce rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was placed in pre-trial detention on serious corruption charges just hours after receiving his party’s nomination.

An Istanbul court formally arrested İmamoğlu on charges including leading a criminal organization, bribery, misconduct, and corruption. In a separate set of accusations, he and several aides were also charged with “aiding an armed terrorist group” for allegedly cooperating with a leftwing political coalition before last year’s local elections. While prosecutors ruled that his detention on corruption charges alone was sufficient, three others were detained on terrorism charges, though İmamoğlu himself was not initially included in that decision.

The arrest, which came amid a dawn raid, triggered a wave of protests across the city and beyond. For the fifth consecutive evening, demonstrators gathered near Istanbul’s City Hall. Clashes with police ensued as security forces resorted to pepper spray, teargas, and armored water cannons to disperse the crowds. In a defiant moment that resonated with the protesters, İmamoğlu’s wife, Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, took to a platform and warned the authorities: “He will defeat you! … you will lose!”

Support for İmamoğlu was unmistakable. During the primary vote—open not only to the CHP’s 1.5 million members but also extended as a “solidarity vote” to non-members—fifteen million citizens cast their ballots. In a message from his high-security detention facility, the mayor declared, “Fifteen million of our citizens cast their votes. Their message to Erdoğan was clear: ‘Enough is enough.’” He further vowed, “That ballot box will come, and the nation will deliver a slap this government will never forget.”

The repercussions of the arrest have extended beyond the immediate political sphere. The Turkish interior ministry swiftly issued a directive to remove İmamoğlu and two district mayors from office, replacing them with government-appointed trustees—a move widely seen as an attempt to erode opposition influence in Istanbul. In addition, authorities have targeted dissent online, issuing court orders to close more than 700 accounts on the social media platform X, which critics argue is a direct assault on free speech.

The incident has drawn sharp international criticism. France’s foreign ministry condemned the jailing as “a serious attack on democracy,” while the German government described the move as “a serious setback for democracy in Turkey.” Meanwhile, CHP leader Özgür Özel accused President Erdoğan’s government of using the legal system to preempt an electoral defeat, stating, “Ekrem İmamoğlu’s only crime is leading in the polls.”

Despite the sweeping crackdown, demonstrators remain undeterred. Across Istanbul—in neighborhoods like Kadıköy and Şişli—crowds have surged to the ballot boxes, transforming the primary vote into a powerful symbol of resistance. “This is a way for us to show our power, to show we’re coming in strong,” said a protester identified only as Devrim, who has been actively involved in mobilizing voters.

As Turkey braces for what could be a historic shift in its political landscape, İmamoğlu’s detention has not only galvanized public opinion but also set the stage for a fiercely contested presidential election. With early voting expected ahead of the scheduled 2028 election, the current political crisis raises pressing questions about the future of Turkey’s democratic process—and whether a tide of popular dissent might finally turn the country’s political fortunes.