Protests in Türkiye on the mayors of Istanbul detention of detention: that knowing about the troubles

Turkey was plunged into a political crisis after the authorities arrested Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and the first rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and imprisoned him while waiting for his corruption trial.

The biggest demonstrations in more than a decade broke out across the country, Mr. Imamoglu spoke of his post and imprisoned hours before the main opposition party of the turkeys designated his candidate in the next presidential election.

Mr. Imamoglu denied the accusations, describing them as politically motivation. Many people have accused the government of having used the courts to put a political threat perceived in Mr. Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2003, and called for the release of Mr. Imamoglus.

Who is Ekrem Imamoglu?

Mr. Imamoglu became the mayor of Istanbul, the largest city and economic engine engine, after defeating a candidate supported by Mr. Erdogan. He was re -elected twice, and some polls suggest that he could beat Erdogan in a head to head race for the presidency.

On March 19, dozens of police arrested Mr. Imamoglu to his home after state prosecutors accused him of corruption in municipal affairs and to support terrorism. Four days later, the government withdrew him from his duties and imprisoned him while waiting for the trial for corruption accusations.

On the same day, the main party opposition party, the Party of the Republican Peoples, or CHP, appointed Mr. Imamoglu his candidate in the next presidential election. Party members from across the country voted, and the party said that many millions of other voters have also voted symbolic to express their support for him.

Mr. Imamoglu promised to fight the accusations. But his detention is not the only obstacle to which he faces the search for the presidency. The day before his arrest, his university canceled his diploma, which could prevent him from a presidential offer. And it faces a range of other judicial affairs, some of which could be temporarily prohibited from politics. He also called them politically motivated and disputes them in court.

In a invited trial in the New York Times, Mr. Imamoglu described his detention a new phase in the turkey sliding in authoritarianism and the use of arbitrary power that could echo global.

The age of uncontrolled strong men requires those who believe in democracy be just as vocal, energetic and implacable as their adversaries, he wrote.

What does the government say?

State prosecutors accused Imamoglu of leading a criminal organization and taking bribes, rigging offers, smashing the personal data of citizens and other misdeeds at the Town Hall. They also initially accused it of supporting terrorism thanks to its political coordination with a pro-Kurdish group in the municipal elections in recent years, but it has not been imprisoned for this accusation.

Government representatives say the accusations are not politically motivated and called on the Turks to trust the courts and wait for the legal process to end.

This investigation is entirely conducted by independent judicial organizations, and when the investigation authorities become aware of these allegations, it would be unthinkable not to open an investigation, the Minister of Justice Yilmaz Tunc said on Thursday.

The government has also issued protest bans in major cities, limited access to social media sites and flooded pro-government information channels with leaks aimed at indicating the guilt of Imamoglus.

The security forces have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrations. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said more than 1,800 people had been detained in relation to the demonstrations after the arrest of Mr. Imamoglus and that more than 150 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators.

Certain groups in recent days abuse the right to demonstrate, trying to disrupt public order and to attack our police officers as they exacerbate street events, said Mr. Yerlikaya in A post on x. Such actions aim to disrupt the peace and security of our people.

What could that mean for the future of turkeys?

Recent global events may have left Mr. Erdogan in a good position. The Trump administration has expressed few concerns about how American partners governed their country. And fear that the United States will withdraw the support of Ukraine in its war with Russia has led European countries to seek stronger defense ties with Turkey, which they may not want to risk endangering me.

Some European leaders have criticized the arrest of Mr. Imamoglus as an anti-democratic, but the senior US officials have said little.

Addressing Turkey journalists on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not directly deal with the detention of Mr. Imamoglu.

Look at, we expressed their concern, we do not like to see instability like this in the governance of a country which is such a close ally, he said.

He said President Trump had a very good working relationship with Erdogan, adding: they are an ally of NATO. We would like to cooperate with them in Syria and in other places.

The movements against Mr. Imamoglu are the last examples of what the criticisms of Mr. Erdogans call his increasingly authoritarian tactics. During his more than two decades of power, Mr. Erdogan gathered the power of the state in his hands while extending his influence on the media and the judiciary.

The second mandate of Mr. Erdogans expired in 2028. The Constitution limited the presidents to two complete mandates, but he could legally run if the parliament called for early elections and shorted his second mandate.

If Mr. Imamoglu, 54, could escape his legal problems, this would put him in a face to face race with Mr. Erdogan, 71 years old. The president did not say if he would present himself, but he has no clear successor and that many people expect him to do.

The stock market market and the value of its currency fell considerably after the arrest of Mr. Imamoglus, although they have since found some of their losses. Some investors could however prevent the country from fear of the rule of the law and the possibility of more instability.

East Safak Contributed reports.