Ekrem Imamoglu, the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on Wednesday on charges including corruption and supporting a terrorist organization. The move was described by the opposition as a "coup attempt against the next president."
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Thousands of people protested in the streets and universities in several cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, chanting anti-government slogans, despite a four-day ban on gatherings following Imamoglu's arrest.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on platform X that Turkish authorities identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 accounts from outside the country, that posted "incitement to crime and hatred" following Imamoglu’s arrest and that of 105 other individuals. He added that efforts to track down the remaining suspects are ongoing.
Yerlikaya also mentioned that 18.6 million posts about Imamoglu were published on platform X within 24 hours of his arrest, pointing out that the 54-year-old mayor is leading Erdogan in some opinion polls.
In addition to the protest ban, authorities closed several roads and restricted access to some social media platforms.
One opposition supporter, Ali Izar, said on his way to work in central Istanbul, “They arrested our mayor, whom we elected with our votes, in haste. I don’t think this is a democratic measure, and I strongly condemn it.”
The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the seizure of a construction company partially owned by Imamoglu in partnership with others. The prosecution office reported that the court had taken control of Imamoglu’s Trade and Industry Company based on financial investigation reports related to economic crimes.
The majority of the 105 people arrested with Imamoglu were employees of the Istanbul Municipality.
One of Imamoglu's supporters, 34-year-old Yusuf Demirci, said in Istanbul, "The people will respond to them again. As you saw yesterday, everyone was in the streets, everyone was in the squares. The squares and the ballot boxes will speak in the end. I say, justice will prevail." - Agencies
