Fierce protests in Turkey after Erdogan rival jailed

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Turkey in response to the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu, who was expected to be officially chosen as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election, was detained and charged with corruption-related offenses.

Sunday night saw a significant escalation in protests, marking the most intense civil unrest in Turkey in over a decade. Authorities used tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons against demonstrators, who gathered in large numbers near Istanbul’s city hall. Protesters waved Turkish flags and chanted slogans as riot police attempted to disperse them.

Imamoglu, calling the charges politically motivated, remained defiant. "I will never bow," he declared on social media before being remanded in custody. His wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, addressed the crowds, stating that the injustice against her husband resonated deeply with many people.

The protests, the most widespread since the 2013 Gezi Park movement, occurred in at least 55 out of Turkey’s 81 provinces, according to French news agency AFP. Imamoglu was among more than 100 individuals—including politicians, journalists, and businesspeople—detained in an ongoing investigation. On Sunday, he was formally charged with multiple crimes, including running a criminal organization, bribery, extortion, illegal data collection, and tender manipulation. He was subsequently sent to a prison in Silivri and suspended from his mayoral position by the Turkish Interior Ministry.

Imamoglu condemned his arrest as a severe blow to democracy, urging citizens to continue protesting and participate in Sunday’s vote for the CHP candidacy. In a message shared via his lawyers, he expressed gratitude to those demonstrating and claimed that the people of Turkey had "had enough" of Erdogan’s rule. Despite his detention, Imamoglu was the sole candidate in the CHP’s selection process.

While the charges do not automatically disqualify him from running in the presidential election, a conviction would prevent his candidacy. The CHP reported that nearly 15 million people participated in Sunday’s vote, with approximately 1.6 million ballots cast by party members and the rest by non-members in a show of solidarity. However, these figures have not been independently verified.

A voter, 38-year-old Aslihan, told AFP, "We won’t give in to despair," while Imamoglu’s wife encouraged the nation to stand up for democracy, justice, and the future.

Imamoglu is regarded as Erdogan’s strongest political rival. Erdogan, who has been in power for 22 years as both prime minister and president, is barred from running again in 2028 due to term limits unless he amends the constitution. The Turkish Ministry of Justice dismissed accusations that the arrest was politically motivated, emphasizing the judiciary's independence.

Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) revealed that Turkey’s communications regulator had ordered the blocking of over 700 accounts, including those belonging to political figures and journalists. X’s Global Government Affairs department criticized the move as unlawful and an obstruction to Turkish users' access to news and political discourse.

On Tuesday, Istanbul University announced it was revoking Imamoglu’s degree over alleged irregularities. If upheld, this decision could jeopardize his presidential eligibility, as Turkish law requires candidates to have completed higher education. His legal team plans to appeal both domestically and to the European Court of Human Rights.

Turkey’s Supreme Election Council will ultimately determine Imamoglu’s eligibility as a candidate. Additionally, prosecutors are seeking to charge him with aiding an armed terrorist organization, though the court has not deemed this necessary at present.

The CHP has historically maintained an informal alliance with the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), which has faced accusations of ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK, which has fought an insurgency against Turkey for over four decades, is recognized as a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU, UK, and US. However, DEM denies any affiliation. Earlier this month, the PKK declared a ceasefire.

As tensions continue to rise, Imamoglu’s arrest has sparked a nationwide political crisis, with millions closely watching the developments that could shape Turkey’s future leadership.