Turkey jails mayor of capital city as unrest continues

The Turkish court on Sunday will incarcerate Mayor Iklem Imamogur, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, and await trial on corruption, awaiting trial, which is likely to burn the country's biggest protests for more than a decade.

The decision to send Imamoguru to prison comes after major opposition parties, European leaders and tens of thousands of protesters criticized the actions against him as political and undemocratic.

As the development of the courts unfolds, there are signs that the mayoral issue is driving opposition to the Erdogan government, and has been running Turkey for 22 years.

Thousands of Republican Party (CHP) members and non-members have flowed into polling stations across the country, selecting Imamoguru as candidates with future presidential votes.

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Non-member votes are closely monitored as an indicator of how much support the widely popular Imamoguru enjoys beyond the loyal party.

Imamoguru denied the accusations he faces as “unimaginable accusations and detractors,” and called for nationwide protests on Sunday. “We're tearing this coup, all the dark stains of our democracy together,” he said.

The footage shows the station said it was taken to Silibri prison on a police convoy.

Imamoguru has been removed from his duties along with two other district mayors, a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

The government denied the investigation was politically motivated and said the courts were independent.

A nationwide ban on street rallies was extended for four more days on Saturday, but protests and skirmishes with police continued throughout the night in major cities.

Thousands were awaiting Imamoguru's verdict outside the court overnight and early Sunday.

The court said Imamoguru, 54, and at least 20 people were jailed as part of a corruption investigation.

He said he was arrested for “establishing and guiding criminal organizations, accepting bribery, embezzlement, illegal records of personal data and rigging public bids in connection with financial investigations.”

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Incarceration, what is called a government attempt by critics to undermine the election outlook, appointing months of legal crackdowns by opposition and removal of other elected officials.

Six of the CHP's 27 mayors have been arrested – a year after the opposition handed the AK party in Erdogan to the worst election defeat ever in a local government election.

The CHP opened a party polling station for non-members on Sunday, casting a “solidarity vote” at Imamoguru, the only name for the presidential candidate's vote.

The demonstrator dressed in Delvisch lies on the ground during a protest on March 23, 2025 on the day Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamogur was imprisoned as part of a corruption investigation in Istanbul, Turkey. (Reuters/Alexander avramidis)

CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel predicted millions of votes from non-members and said Imamogul was “a path to presidency, not just prisons.”

The general election is not scheduled until 2028.

However, if Erdogan (71), who has led Turkey for 22 years, runs again, then Parliament has reached his limits by that day, so Parliament must support previous elections. Imamogul has led Erdogan in several polls.

Imamoguru also faces terrorist accusations, but the court did not formally arrest him at the same time.

A future ruling that will take office in a pending trial on terrorist allegations could allow the government to run Istanbul. A conviction can prevent him from running for the president.

The CHP said it would appeal to the ruling and elect someone to work as a proxy mayor.

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Shortly after the court's ruling, the mayor vowed to ultimately defeat Erdogan, saying those who carried out the investigation were held responsible.

“Imamogul has become an Erdogan's… nightmare,” Opposition supporter Mehmet Karatas said outside the court. “We will create President Ekrem Imamoguru.”

Imamogul's detention has shaken the markets as Turkish lira, stocks and bonds suffered a sharp decline since Wednesday. Analysts are hoping for more sales pressure after incarceration.

Turkish Central Bank Governor Fati Kalahan met with board members of the Turkish Banking Association (TBB) on Sunday.

Police officers will use pepper spray on protesters on March 23, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey, during the day protests on the day Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamogur was imprisoned as part of a corruption investigation. Reuters/Alexander avramidis (Reuters/Alexander avramidis)

The central bank will effectively and decisively use all the equipment within the market rules to maintain stability, Callahan told bankers, TBB said.

Since the national Gezi Park protest against the Erdogan government in 2013, citizen disobedience has been dramatically suppressed in Turkey, prompting violent state crackdowns.

However, thousands of people gathered on Saturday night, outside the Istanbul city building and the main courthouse. Hundreds of police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters.

Most demonstrations were peaceful, but protesters also clashed with police in Izmir's west coastal province and the capital Ankara for three consecutive nights, with police in Ankara, and police fired water cannons.

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Authorities have detained more than 300 people during the protest.

Additional reports by Huseyin Hayatsever, Mert Ozkan and Mehmet Emin Caliskan. Written by Jonathan Spicer. Edited by Daniel Wallis, William Mallard, David Goodman, Allison Williams and Giles Elgood