Türkiye’s Istanbul mayor faces arrest on corruption, terrorism charges

Türkiye’s Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has officially submitted a petition to the court for the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on charges of corruption and alleged ties to a terrorist organisation.  

The petition, which has attracted significant attention, also implicates 99 other individuals in a sprawling investigation involving serious criminal activities, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

İmamoğlu, a prominent figure in Turkish politics, is facing allegations related to leadership and membership in a criminal organization. The charges also include bribery, fraud, illegal acquisition of personal data, and manipulation of public tenders. The investigation has raised questions about the integrity of local governance and the involvement of public officials in illicit activities.

In a separate investigation, İmamoğlu, along with Şişli district head Resul Emrah Şahan, Istanbul's deputy secretary general Mahir Polat, and the director of the Reform Institute, Mehmet Ali Çalışkan, are accused of providing support to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization.

Demonstrators gathered in cities across Türkiye on the night of March 21, defying protest bans to rally against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. In Istanbul, hundreds of thousands assembled outside City Hall, while thousands more took to the streets in other provinces, including the capital, Ankara, and the Aegean coastal city of Izmir. Imamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure and potential presidential contender, was detained on March 19 on charges related to terrorism and corruption. His arrest has sparked widespread protests, with his supporters and opposition groups alleging political motives behind the case.

By Naila Huseynova