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Multiple relatives of the incarcerated Istanbul mayor have been detained in Turkey

Controversial mayoral figure Ekrem Imamoglu, a frequent critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was apprehended in early March. Since then, numerous demonstrations have erupted, clamoring for his freedom.

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Multiple relatives of the incarcerated Istanbul mayor have been detained in Turkey

Turkey's Istanbul Mayor's Arrest and Associates: A Political Stance or a Corruption Probe?

The Istanbul prosecutor's office declared on April 26 that nearly 50 close associates and supporters of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned opposition mayor, have been nabbed during a corruption investigation targeting him. Ekrem İmamoğlu, a vocal critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was detained on March 19 and put behind bars on March 25; he stands accused of corruption, among other things, and was scheduled to be designated by his party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), as their presidential candidate for the 2028 elections.

Saturday morning's arrests, as reported by Turkish media, included the mayor's chief of staff, Kadriye Kasapoglu, the brother of his wife Dilek İmamoğlu, the head of the water and sewage administration, and former municipal officials. Raids were still underway on Saturday morning, targeting those involved in Istanbul, Ankara, and Tekirdağ, according to BirGün, an opposition-leaning news site.

Protests and Controversy Amid High School Students

The CHP officials in Istanbul view these arrests as being linked to the municipality's opposition to the highly contentious "Kanal Istanbul" project, which seeks to double the maritime route of the Bosphorus. A 50-kilometer-long, 150-meter-wide, and 25-meter-deep project presented by Erdoğan in April 2011 would connect the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Critics argue that it will encroach on natural and agricultural land and alter the retention basin that partly supplies Istanbul with water.

At a rally in Mersin, in southern Turkey, CHP leader Özgür Özel accused the government of having "re-launched" the project after Imamoglu's arrest. The Turkish government denied any connection, stating that the operation follows the investigation opened against the mayor on March 19 for corruption.

"Today's operation is not a coincidence," claimed Istanbul provincial CHP leader Özgür Çelik on the social media platform X, explaining that the water and sewerage administration of the megacity (ISKI) had ordered the demolition and halt of construction sites along the canal's route. "Municipal employees who opposed [the project] are currently at the main police station," he added. "The price the minority government is making our country pay is becoming heavier every day," he accused.

According to the CHP group in Parliament, the chief opposition force, Vice President Gökhan Güneydin, "the real reason for these arrests is the Istanbul Canal" and estimated that "the metropolitan municipality of Istanbul has become practically inoperable", having lost most of its officials.

A Plausible Political Strategy?

From his prison cell, Ekrem İmamoğlu condemned these arrests and lashed out at "a handful of ambitious individuals (...) who have started filling files with empty, lies, and slander". He has consistently opposed the project, stating as early as 2021 that land bordering the future canal had been given to supporters of the Turkish president, describing it as a construction and real estate project. He also charged that "Erdogan's main motivation is money, money, and more money".

Many view the case against Imamoglu as part of a broader pattern of using the legal system to suppress political opposition in Turkey. Ongoing protests and the opposition's efforts to gather signatures for Imamoglu's release and call for early elections reflect the deep political tension surrounding his arrest and the Kanal Istanbul project.

  1. Ekrem Imamoglu, the imprisoned opposition mayor of Istanbul and vocal critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has expressed his condemnation of the arrests of his associates, viewing it as a ploy by a handful of ambitious individuals filling files with empty, lies, and slander.
  2. The Istanbul province CHP leader, Ozgur Celik, has stated on social media that the ongoing corruption investigation and subsequent arrests are not a coincidence, implying a political motive behind the operation.
  3. At a rally, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel accused the government of relaunching the Kanal Istanbul project, a highly contentious maritime expansion project, after Imamoglu's arrest on March 19.
  4. According to the CHP group in Parliament, the real reason for the arrests of Imamoglu's associates is the Istanbul Canal project, which has rendered the metropolitan municipality of Istanbul practically inoperable due to the loss of most of its officials.
  5. The ongoing arrests and the opposition's efforts to gather signatures for Imamoglu's release and call for early elections reflect the deep political tension surrounding his arrest and the Kanal Istanbul project, a situation that has been fraught with controversy in the realm of war-and-conflicts, politics, general news, and crime-and-justice.
IMAMOGLU, A FORMIDABLE FOE OF PRESIDENT ERDOGAN, WAS DETAINED IN MARCH. SINCE THEN, WIDESPREAD DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE OCCURRED, INSISTING ON HIS FREEDOM.
Opponent of Turkish President Erdogan, Ekrem Imamoglu, was detained in early March. Since then, numerous demonstrations have been held, seeking his release.
Opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu, known for his fierce opposition against Turkish President Erdoğan, was detained in March. This has sparked significant protests calling for his immediate release.

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