Turkish government has arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the central opposition figure and presidential candidate competitor to Tayyip Erdogan, on charges of corruption and facilitating a terror group. The republican opposition party known as Republican People’s Party or CHP disapproved of the step on Wednesday in what they declared was “a coup against our next president.”
Imamoglu’s arrest comes after months of legal action against opposition leaders, widely decried as an effort to discredit electoral rivals and stifle dissent. The 54-year-old mayor, who has topped Erdogan in some opinion polls, was to be declared the CHP’s presidential candidate in the coming days. He now has further investigations pending, including charges of heading a crime organization, bribery, and manipulation of tenders.
The Turkish lira dropped 12% to an all-time low of 42 per dollar on news of his detention, mirroring fears over the rule of law in the nation under Erdogan’s 22-year tenure.
Imamoglu, in a handwritten letter posted on social media, called on Turks to stand firm against the “lies, conspiracies, and ambushes” against him. Prior to handing himself over to police, he promised not to give in to pressure.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc warned against associating Erdogan with the arrest or applying the term “coup” to refer to the legal process. He also warned people against demonstrations. Yet, with a short-lived ban on protests, hundreds protested outside the police station, calling Erdogan’s ruling AK Party slogans. Thousands marched afterwards in Istanbul’s Sarachane district, where CHP leader Ozgur Ozel accused Erdogan of employing the judiciary to wipe out his political opponent.
Smaller protests broke out in Turkey, including in Ankara, Izmir, and Trabzon, where police used tear gas to break up crowds. The protests challenge Erdogan’s crackdown on opposition leaders, which has intensified in recent months with several indictments, dismissals of mayors, and the imprisonment of a nationalist party leader.
