Shakeel Sobhan
Published March 23, 2025last updated March 23, 2025
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been charged with corruption after his arrest sparked dozens of protests across Turkey. His party began a primary to nominate Imamoglu as its presidential candidate. Follow DW for more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s91s
What you need to know
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A Turkish court has ordered Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu jailed on corruption charges
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Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) sets up ‘solidarity boxes’ across Turkey
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Istanbul mayor is seen as the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- The arrest of Imamoglu on Wednesday has prompted protests in many Turkish cities
March 23, 2025
Imamoglu: ‘I am standing tall, I will not bow down’
After a court ruled that he be jailed pending trial in a corruption probe, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said he would not bow down.
“We will, hand in hand, uproot this blow, this black stain on our democracy… I am standing tall, I will not bow down,” Imamoglu said in a post on X.
Imamoglu also urged his supporters not to lose hope. “Never be sad, do not be depressed, do not lose hope,” he wrote.
He also invited 86 million of his countrymen to go to the polls and “proclaim to the whole world the struggle for democracy and justice.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4s98D
March 23, 2025
DW ask Turkish students why they support opposition
The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Wednesday has sparked some of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Turkey in more than a decade. The protesters include many university students who fear their country is taking an even more authoritarian turn.
‘We will resist!’ Turkish students vow to support opposition
https://p.dw.com/p/4s97A
March 23, 2025
Imamoglu’s party sets up ‘solidarity boxes’ across Turkey
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s formal arrest came as his Republican People’s Party (CHP) began holding a primary to nominate him as its presidential candidate despite his detention.Â
The opposition party also set up symbolic “solidarity boxes” nationwide, allowing non-members to show their support for the mayor.
Imamoglu is seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan biggest rival. Presidential elections in Turkey are slated for 2028, but Erdogan will only be able to run again if a constitutional amendment is passed or if early elections are called.
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, also a member of the CHP, criticized the lack of confidentiality in the proceedings against Imamoglu.
“Honestly, we are embarrassed on behalf of our legal system,” he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s92b
March 23, 2025
Protests in wake of Imamoglu arrest
Turkey has been facing anti-government protests since  Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in a raid early on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old mayor was detained with dozens of other prominent figures, including two district mayors.
On Friday evening, protests organizers said around 300,000 protesters took part in the rally outside the Istanbul City Hall. On the fringes of the rally, demonstrators clashed with riot police as the police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. Read our full story on the Friday protests here.
The opposition sees Imamoglu’s detention as a politically-driven attempt to remove one of Erdogan’s key rivals.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s92B
March 23, 2025
Erdogan rival jailed on graft charges
A Turkish court jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu pending trial on Sunday, according to the state news agency.
Imamoglu, a potential challenger to Turkey’s longtime conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been charged with corruption. Imamoglu is also suspected of terrorism due to alleged links with Kurdish militants, though any terror-related charges are to be addressed in a separate trial.
On Sunday, the court said Imamoglu and at least 20 others were jailed as part of a corruption investigation.
His supporters say the arrest was a politically motivated attempt to remove a popular challenger to Erdogan’s more than two decades of rule.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s91x