Turkish Opposition Leader Ekrem Imamoglu Arrested Amid Corruption Probe

Last Updated Mar - 19 - 2025, 03:35 PM | Source : Fela News

Imamoglu, one of the prominent leaders of Turkey’s CHP party got arrested over alleged legal cases, threatening his political career.

Turkish police raided the home of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on 19 March 2023, Wednesday, detaining him over a corruption probe in a move denounced by the primary opposition CHP party as a “coup”.

A significant and popular figure within the CHP İmamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival. His detention came days before he was to be named the party’s candidate for the 2028 presidential elections.

Widely seen as the strongest candidate to challenge Erdogan, Imamoglu’s career has been overshadowed by a constant series of politically motivated cases, according to critics and experts. The detention came hours after Istanbul University revoked his degree on the charges that it was falsely obtained. The revocation is a high-stakes move since Turkey requires presidential candidates with higher degrees,

“Hundreds of police officers have arrived at my door. I entrust myself to the people,” the mayor said in a video posted on X.

The Istanbul public prosecutor's office issued a statement citing charges such as bribery and extortion, alleging that Imamoglu led a "criminal organization" and announcing the arrest of 100 suspects. The move appeared to be in connection with a probe into alleged "tender rigging" by Imamoglu that was opened in 2023.