Turkish police arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Wednesday, just days before he was set to secure the opposition’s presidential nomination, escalating concerns that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is targeting political rivals.
İmamoğlu was detained along with 100 others, including his campaign manager and top aides, in what authorities claim is an investigation into corruption and alleged terror links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Critics, however, see the move as a blatant attempt to block his presidential bid and silence Turkey’s opposition.
The arrest comes one day after Istanbul University annulled İmamoğlu’s degree, a requirement for running in Turkish elections. Opposition leaders denounced the diploma revocation as politically motivated.
İmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) had scheduled its primary election for Sunday, with him as the only candidate. His removal from the race would all but eliminate Erdoğan’s main challenger ahead of expected early elections.
“Let everyone know that I will stand tall,” İmamoğlu declared in a video before being taken into custody.
Sources
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