Istanbul Mayor Arrested – One of Erdogan's Main Rivals!
Turkish police on Wednesday arrested one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's main rivals and Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, amid a major crackdown on the opposition.
A statement from the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office called İmamoğlu a "leader of criminal enterprises." He was arrested among 100 others, including his close aide Murat Ongu and election campaign manager Necati Özkan.
In a video posted on social media after the accusations against him, İmamoğlu declared, " I love you all very much, I entrust myself to my nation. Let everyone know that I will resist."
The move comes days before İmamoğlu's Republican People's Party (CHP) holds presidential candidate elections on Sunday, in which İmamoğlu is the sole candidate.
It also comes a day after Istanbul University revoked his degree, a decision that would disqualify him from running in the presidential election if he were to recant.
The broader crackdown by Turkish authorities targeted Medya A.Ş., a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and those involved in the so-called "city consensus" among opposition parties.
The "city consensus" is an agreement between İmamoğlu's opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish People's Freedom and Democracy Party (DEM Party) to support the same candidate in several districts of Istanbul in the municipal elections.
İmamoğlu is suspected of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by linking up with the DEM. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency inside Turkey and is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington and other Turkish allies.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said that İmamoğlu aided the PKK's work "by knowingly participating in the urban consensus activity, which aimed to increase the effectiveness of the terrorist organization in metropolitan areas, as stated by the management."
İmamoğlu and his aides are also accused of corruption, including soliciting bribes, extorting money and using Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality subsidiaries for financial gain.
Critics say the blow comes after significant losses by Erdogan's ruling party in local elections last year, amid growing calls for early national elections.
Government officials insist that the courts operate independently and have rejected claims that the arrests are politically motivated.
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