ISTANBUL (AFP) – A Turkish court formally placed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu under arrest as part of a graft investigation on Sunday, after a fourth night of mass protests sparked heavy clashes with riot police.
The decision was confirmed by one of Imamoglu’s lawyers, with the court also due to rule in a second “terror-related” probe into the popular opposition mayor, whose detention has sparked Turkiye’s worst street protests in over a decade.
“No despair! Keep fighting!” wrote the main opposition CHP party on X, denouncing it as “a political coup d’etat”.
The news came as voters cast their ballots in a CHP primary to name Imamoglu the party’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
The long-planned vote was the event which triggered the arrest of Imamoglu.
He was detained in connection with two probes alleging graft and “aiding a terror organisation” – accusations which he told police were “immoral and baseless”.
The move against him sparked protests in Istanbul that have since spread to more than 55 of Turkiye’s 81 provinces, unleashing running battles with police, who arrested 323 people overnight, officials said.
Polls opened at 8am with 5,600 ballot boxes in 81 cities. The CHP said the vote was open to everyone, not just members, in the hope of a massive show of support for Imamoglu.
“I invite our nation… to the ballot box. We are casting our vote to support Ekrem: for democracy, justice and the future,” said his wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, on X, shortly after voting with her son Selim.
“We are not afraid and we will never give up.”
Earlier, opposition leader and CHP head Ozgur Ozel said he and the mayor’s wife had been allowed to spend five minutes with Imamoglu after the prosecution ended its all-night interrogation, saying he was in good spirits.
“He said this process had led to a great awakening for Turkiye which he was happy about,” said Ozel, who put turnout at the Istanbul protest at more than half a million.
Riot police used rubber bullets, pepper spray and percussion grenades on the Istanbul protesters, forcing them to take refuge inside City Hall building.
