According to the state-run Anadolu News Agency, Turkish court sentenced the mayor of Istanbul to the mayor of Istanbul on Sunday, awaiting trial of his corruption charges, a potential competitor among Turkey’s next presidential election and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top rival.
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested at his home for four days on Wednesday, when he was appointed presidential candidate for the Turkish political opposition. He denied the allegations against him, and Mr. Erdogan’s opponents called for the measure to hinder the presidential bid of popular politicians.
State-run news media said the court ordered Mr Imamogru to be sentenced to jail on charges of corruption. State prosecutors accused him of leading a criminal organization at City Hall and overseeing bribery, bidding and other financial misconduct.
Prosecutors also accused him of supporting terrorism during the local elections last year with a pro-Kurdian group. The court has not yet ruled whether he was also sentenced to jail for the allegations.
Mr Imamogru, who has been elected mayor three times since 2019, raised the possibility of removing him from the office.
That alone may not stop him from running for president, but he faces other obstacles. His alma mater, the University of Istanbul, filed a lawsuit for his diploma the day before his arrest, citing misproper procedures when he transferred to the school in 1990. Türkiye’s constitution stipulates that the president must have completed higher education. The mayor said he would sign the ruling before being detained.
Mr Imamoglu is also facing numerous other court cases, including some political cases that may temporarily ban him.
In an article on X, the mayor calls on Turks to stand together against “black stains on our democratic countries”,
In his detention, he said, “I stand high. I will never bow.”
Mr. Erdogan, who ruled critics of Turkish politics for more than two decades, has long accused him of using state power to undermine his rivals. But, they say, arresting presidential contenders eliminated him from the game before they begin, a new kind of authoritarianism.
Some European leaders criticized the mayor’s arrest, prompting Türkiye to protest, calling on the Turkish government to uphold the rule of law. Senior U.S. officials hardly said.
President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff did not mention the mayor’s detention in an interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, released on X on Saturday. But he said Trump had a recent conversation with Mr. Erdogan. The White House did not have a public phone call at that time.
“There is a lot of good news in Türkiye right now, thanks to the conversation,” Witkov said.
Despite Mr Imamoglu’s detention, Türkiye’s main opposition, Republican BJP, or CHP, continued on Sunday to formally designate his presidential candidate. Party members voted across the country, and the party called on non-parties to vote to also signify votes in support of the mayor who was sentenced to jail.
Erdogan is currently in office as president, and his second term expires in 2028. While the Constitution limits the president to two terms, he can again legally run if parliament calls for early elections, thus cutting his second mission.
Many people in Türkiye expect this to happen. If so, then Mr. Imamoglu, 54, may be banned from participating in the competition. Erdogan, 71, hasn’t said whether he will run, but he has no clear successor, and many in Turkey hope he seeks another term.
Mr Imamoglu’s imprisonment could undermine the management of Türkiye’s largest city. The city employs more than 100,000 employees and oversees many companies that build housing, operate public transportation and carry out infrastructure projects.
Massive protests against Mr Imamogru’s detention erupted in various cities in Turkey despite the government’s efforts to stop them. The country’s three largest cities have banned public demonstrations, the inner side of society is restricted, and the main transit centers have been closed to hinder the ability of protesters to gather in public squares.
The Interior Ministry said on Saturday that 343 people were arrested during the protests, and the Istanbul governor’s office appointed by Erdogan said travelers “could be involved in illegal protests” that would block entry into the city.
Safak Timur and Gulsin Harman Contribution report.
