Erdoğan rival jailed: Opposition cries foul in Turkiye

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, a Turkish court ordered the pretrial detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges, days after his arrest, a move that has triggered widespread protests across the country.

İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, also faces charges of alleged ties to terrorism. He appeared in court late Saturday alongside 90 other defendants at Istanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse.

Earlier on Sunday, Turkish prosecutors formally requested his arrest, escalating tensions over his detention. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, a close figure to İmamoğlu, condemned the ruling, calling it a “stain on the judiciary.”

The mayor’s detention has intensified political unrest, with his CHP party’s supporters rallying in multiple cities including İstanbul, Ankara, and İzmir. Many critics view the case as politically motivated, aimed at sidelining him ahead of Turkiye’s 2028 presidential election. The government denied these allegations, insisting that the judiciary remains independent.

According to Cumhuriyet newspaper, İmamoğlu underwent five hours of police questioning on Saturday over accusations of aiding the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Two days earlier, he had been interrogated for four hours in a separate corruption probe. So far, he has rejected all charges against him.