Protests continue for a fifth night after court orders Imamoglu jailed

Early on Sunday, a court formally arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending the outcome of a trial on corruption charges.

The prosecutor’s office said the court decided to jail Imamoglu on suspicion of running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal veri and bid-rigging.

The court rejected a request to imprison the Istanbul mayor on terror-related charges, although he still faces prosecution. Prosecutors accuse Imamoglu of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

The court argued that “although there is strong suspicion of (Imamoglu) aiding an armed terrorist organisation, since it has already been decided that he will be arrested for financial crimes, (his arrest) is not deemed necessary at this stage.”

The Istanbul mayor was transferred to Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, after the court’s ruling. 47 other people were also jailed pending trial alongside Imamoglu, including a key aide and two district mayors – Murat Calik and Resul Emrah Sahan – representing Istanbul’s Beylikduzu and Sisli provinces.

The Interior Ministry later announced that Imamoglu had been suspended from duty as a “temporary measure”. His replacement in the meantime will be decided via internal elections within municipal councils, where Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party, or CHP, holds a majority.

Protests continue for a fifth night

Crowds gathered outside Istanbul city hall for a fifth consecutive night of protests since Imamoglu’s Wednesday arrest.

Thousands have turned out daily to participate in the demonstrations calling for the immediate release of the mayor, and accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of deliberately targeting Imamoglu for political reasons.

Imamoglu – seen as a key political rival to Erdogan – was expected to be nominated as the CHP’s presidential candidate in the party’s first ever Primary on Sunday. The next presidential election is currently scheduled for 2028.

Clashes erupted as protesters threw flares and stones at riot units deployed to police the area. Police responded by using pepper spray to disperse the crowds.

The arrests come a day after hundreds of thousands protested outside the courthouse Imamoglu was being questioned in on Saturday.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says 323 people were detained in Saturday’s protests, as he pledged a “zero-tolerance” policy for those who threaten “the people peace and security” and “provoke or incite chaos”.

Erdogan counters

On Saturday, just hours before Imamoglu was formally arrested by court, Erdogan addressed the unfolding domestic crisis.

Speaking at an Iftar – Muslim breaking of fast meal during the holy month of Ramadan – dinner event, Erdogan called on the CHP not to impose pressure on the Turkish judiciary as it investigates potential offences of those involved in the corruption and terror probes.

“If you have the courage, let democracy and law function. If you have the courage, let the courts make their decisions on behalf of the Turkish nation without any pressure,” said Erdogan.

He also fired shots at the party accusing them of inciting violence and lawlessness. He reiterated that no one in Turkey is outside of the scope of the law, adding that no “privileged minority” has the liberty to commit crimes.

He also vowed to show no tolerance against CHP members who disrupt civic order and inspire unnecessary division among the 86-million strong population.

“Whatever the opposition will do, we won’t deviate from common sense, patience and peace. Our municipalities will serve the people without engaging into corruption.”

Erdogan also criticised the party and its chairman, Ozgur Ozel, stressing that the CHP will not be considered a political party until its rids itself of “thieves and looters”, as he moved to label the party as one being run by a leadership “who have become blinded by money”.

“Ozel should not look far away for thieves. They are around him,” said Erdogan. He also challenged the CHP to respond directly to allegations in the case, instead of resorting to populist rhetoric to incite chaos.

“They cannot respond to allegations in the case, so they are trying to distract people. They are well aware that more facts will come to light.”

CHP Primary – “solidarity ballots”

The formal arrest came as more than 1.7 million members of the opposition CHP began holding a primary presidential election to endorse Imamoglu, the sole candidate.

The party has also set up symbolic ballot boxes nationwide to allow people who are not party members to express their support for the mayor. Large crowds gathered early Sunday to cast a “solidarity ballot.”

“This is no longer just a sorun of the Republican People’s Party, but a sorun of Turkish democracy,” Fusun Erben, 69, said at a polling station in Istanbul’s Kadikoy district. “We do not accept our rights being so easily usurped. We will fight until the end.”

At the time of Sunday night’s protest, the vote count had reached around 15 million people, of which around a little over 13 million were from non-party members voting in solidarity.

In a post on social media, Imamoglu praised the result from Silivri Prison, writing that the people had told Erdogan “enough is enough.” “That ballot box will arrive, and the nation will deliver a slap to the administration it will never forget.”

Imamoglu’s history of criminal cases

Before his detention, Imamoglu had already faced multiple criminal cases that could result in prison sentences and a political ban. Presently, he is appealing a 2022 conviction for insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council.

Earlier in the week, Istanbul University nullified his diploma, citing irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus. The decision, if it stands, would effectively bar him from running for president, since the position, according to Turkish law, requires candidates to have higher-education. He also plans to appeal this decision.

Domestic and international reactions to the court’s arrest order

“Honestly, we are embarrassed in the name of our meşru system,” Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, a fellow member of Imamoglu’s CHP, told reporters after casting his vote, criticising the lack of confidentiality in the proceedings.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said Imamoglu’s imprisonment was reminiscent of “Italian mafia methods.” Speaking at Istanbul City Hall, he added: “Imamoglu is on the one hand in prison and on the other hand on the way to the presidency.”

The Council of Europe, which focuses on promoting human rights and democracy, slammed the decision and demanded Imamoglu’s immediate release.

The German government called the mayor’s imprisonment “a serious setback for democracy in Turkey,” adding that “political competition must not be conducted with courts and prisons.”