March 23, 2025
Imamoglu ‘temporarily’ suspended removed from office
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been “temporarily” suspended after he was formally arrested on graft charges, Turkey’s Interior Ministry said.
The Istanbul Municipality’s council, where the main opposition CHP holds the majority, is expected to elect an acting mayor in the coming days following Imamoglu’s removal.
Additionally, two other district mayors have also been removed, according to the ministry.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s9SW
March 23, 2025
Germany calls Istanbul mayor’s arrest a setback for democracy
The German Foreign Office has described the formal arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as a setback for democracy in Turkey, urging a fair trial and adherence to the rule of law moving forward.
“Political competition must not be conducted through courts and prisons,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in Berlin.
“We expect the allegations to be transparently investigated as quickly as possible and for proceedings to be conducted on the basis of the rule of law,” the spokesman said.
The same applies to detained demonstrators, he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s9SG
March 23, 2025
Imamoglu urges new mass protests across Turkey
Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu urged Turkish citizens to fight for their rights and join protests across the country.
“Turkey woke up to a great betrayal today. The judicial process is not a judicial process. It is a complete extrajudicial execution,” he wrote on X.
Imamoglu urged his compatriots to take part in the primaries organized by his oppostition CHP party. “Then meet at Sarachane square in Istanbul and at democracy squares in other cities and raise your voice,” he added.
“It is the day to take responsibility against those who stole the will of the people and to join the struggle,” Imamoglu wrote.
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in demonstrations and hundreds have been arrested since Imamoglu’s arrest on Wednesday.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s9FF
March 23, 2025
CHP to appeal Imamoglu’s detention
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is currently on his way to jail but also to the presidency, Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition CHP party, was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.
Ozel added that the mayor was arrested because he posed an electoral threat to President Tayyip Erdogan.
The CHP leader made the comments after casting his vote in an internal CHP ballot to determine its presidential candidate for the next election in which Imamoglu was the only name on the list. Ozel also said that the CHP will appeal against the court’s decision to imprison Imamoglu.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s9CJ
March 23, 2025
Court rejects Imamoglu arrest in ‘terror’ probe, upholds graft arrest
An Istanbul court has rejected the formal arrest of opposition Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in a “terror” investigation, but upheld his detention in a graft investigation, according to an official statement.
“In connection with a financial investigation, it has been decided that the suspect, Ekrem İmamoglu, be remanded in custody on charges of establishing and leading a criminal organization, accepting bribes, misconduct in office, unlawfully recording personal data, and bid rigging,” the court ruled.
“Although there is strong suspicion of assisting an armed terrorist organization, it has been deemed unnecessary to make a decision on this particular charge at this stage, as he has already been remanded in custody for financial crimes,” the court added.
Imamoglu was arrested on Wednesday in connection with both probes. The arrest sparked four days of massive protests in Turkey.
https://p.dw.com/p/4s9AU
March 23, 2025
Over 300 protesters arrested on Saturday evening, interior ministry says
With protests continuing over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamgolu, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 323 people were arrested on Saturday evening.
“No attempt to undermine public order will be allowed!” he added.
In Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and other cities, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in defiance of bans. More than 340 protesters were also arrested on Friday night.
Violent clashes in Turkey as pro-Imamoglu protests continue
https://p.dw.com/p/4s99B
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.
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
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