Erdogan's rival arrested - major protests in Turkey

Turkey
Erdogan's rival arrested in Turkey - government to ban demonstrations

Jacob Ruderstam

Updated 14.49 | Published 10.51

Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul in January. Photo: Emrah Gurel / AP

Erdogan's main rival has been arrested, just days before he was to be nominated as presidential candidate.

The opposition is furious and accuses the government of a coup.

- I will not lose heart, says Ekrem Imamoglu.

Protests in Istanbul on Wednesday. Photo: Francisco Seco / AP

On Wednesday, Turkish police raided several locations in Istanbul and arrested people accused of serious crimes. One of those arrested is Ekrem Imamoglu, an opposition politician and mayor of the city.

Imamoglu is an outspoken opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled the country for over 20 years. He is a popular opposition politician and has strong support in Turkiet's largest city. Last year, Erdogan's ruling AKP party lost support in local elections and in some opinion polls Imamoglu is leading Erdogan.

This week, Imamoglu was to have been officially nominated as the presidential candidate of the CHP party. CHP leader Özgür Özel says the nomination will go ahead despite the arrest.

- Turkey is undergoing a coup against the next president. We are facing a coup attempt, Özel says according to Reuters.

Ekrem Imamoglu and his wife Dilek Imamoglu vote at a polling station in 2023. Photo: AP

The mayor's wife Dilek Imamoglu says that police showed up outside their home during the night to Wednesday and that Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested during the morning.

– We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not lose heart, Imamoglu told his followers in a statement on social media the day before the arrest.

In total, over 100 people have been arrested. Many are accused of corruption or terrorist links. Among those arrested are politicians, journalists and businessmen, writes the BBC. The arrests are being pointed out as an attempt by the government to silence opposition voices. Several major roads in Istanbul have been closed and demonstrations have been banned in the coming days.

Despite the ban, hundreds of people gathered outside the police station where Imamoglu was taken on Wednesday. The demonstrators, among other things, harshly criticized the AKP. Several larger demonstrations are planned for Wednesday.