What we know about Istanbul’s mayor and why he was arrested

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a popular figure, had basked in the glow of what he often jokingly dubbed his political miracle — the only person to have beaten Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party in not one, but three local elections.

On Wednesday, dozens of police officers raided his residence around dawn and detained him for questioning as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links.

Many see the arrest as part of a broader campaign to undermine the mayor and eliminate a key challenger to Erdogan before the next presidential elections. The move has raised concerns about the fairness of future elections under Erdogan who has grown increasingly authoritarian during his more than two-decade rule as prime minister and president.

It is also the latest in a string of crackdowns on opponents and dissenters in Turkey in recent years.

Who is Ekrem Imamoglu?

When the 53-year-old businessman and former district mayor was chosen to run as mayor for Turkey’s largest city and economic hub in 2019, he was largely an unknown figure and many skeptics questioned the decision. The former leader of his pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP, reassured critics that once the people got to know him, his charm would resonate with voters.

Imamoglu went on to win the election, delivering a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. The loss of Istanbul was a significant setback to Erdogan who himself had launched his political career as the mayor of the metropolis of 16 million.

Imamoglu was able to serve as mayor for just 18 days before the election result was annulled and his mandate was revoked over alleged vote irregularities.

The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won - with a larger margin.

In an interview with The Associated Press at the time, Imamoglu said: “I believe the people of Istanbul will give the necessary response to this injustice at the polls as a result of their belief in democracy. And God willing, the victors will be Istanbul and democracy.”

The mayor went on to win last year’s local elections when the CHP made significant gains amid a sharp economic decline.

On Sunday, the CHP was scheduled to hold a primary election where Imamoglu is to be nominated its candidate for the presidency. The party’s leader has said the primary will go ahead despite Imamoglu’s detention.

“Imamoglu is very relatable, very likeable for the common voter,” said Soner Cagaptay, an expert on Turkey at the Washington Institute, adding that no CHP leader has managed to build a “base of adoring supporters until Imamoglu entered the stage.”

Why was he arrested?

The raid on Imamoglu’s residence and his arrest came after Istanbul prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the mayor and more than 100 other people as part of investigations into alleged corruption, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

The suspects are accused of alleged racketeering and a multitude of other financial crimes.

The mayor is also suspected of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, by allegedly forming an alliance with a Kurdish umbrella organization for the Istanbul municipal elections. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

The CHP and other opposition critics see a politically motivated plot against one of Turkey’s most popular politicians and accuse Erdogan’s government of carrying out a “coup” to prevent his political rise. The justice minister has rejected the claims of alleged government pressure over the courts, insisting the judiciary was acting impartially.

Opinion polls have indicated that Imamoglu could defeat Erdogan if he ran for president.

Cagaptay said Erdogan had numerous ways to undermine Imamoglu’s candidacy, such as leveraging his control over media, institutions and the judiciary, as well as exploiting an uneven political landscape.

“But for him to go for the nuclear option of arresting him tells me that it is not Imamoglu but Erdogan who seems to be in trouble,” Cagaptay said.

“Just as Imamoglu was about to anointed as the CHP presidential candidate ... Erdogan decided to nip him in bud,” he said.

A day before his arrest, Istanbul University invalidated Imamoglu’s diploma, citing alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its Faculty of Business Administration.

The unprecedented decision effectively disqualifies the politician from running for president. Under Turkish laws, only university graduates can hold presidential office. Imamoglu has said he will legally challenge the decision.

Past legal challenges

Even before his arrest, Imamoglu faced a barrage of legal challenges, including allegations of trying to influence a judicial expert investigating opposition-led municipalities and allegedly threatening a prosecutor. The cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban.

In 2022, he was convicted of insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council following the annulment of the 2019 mayoral race and sentenced to more than two years in prison. He appealed his conviction, which could also bar him from holding public office, and has remained free during the ongoing process.

Crackdowns on Erdogan’s opponents

Recent months in Turkey have seen a wave of arrests and crackdowns targeting political figures and activists, including journalists and elected mayors who have been removed from office and replaced with government-appointed officials.

Two business leaders were briefly detained and are now facing prosecution for criticizing the government’s policies. A talent manager representing several Turkish actors was arrested in January and charged with attempting to overthrow the government for her alleged involvement in anti-government protests in 2013.

Umit Ozdag, the leader of a small far-right party and outspoken Erdogan critic was also arrested in January on charges of inciting hatred and hostility, through a series of anti-refugee posts on social media.

Among other high-profile detainees are Selahattin Demirtas, the popular former leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish political party who was arrested in 2016 on terrorism-related charges and Osman Kavala, a businessman and rights activist who was imprisoned in 2017 for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. Their continued detention despite European Court of Human Rights decisions toward their release has drawn international condemnation.