Imamoglu in prison: escalate protests in Turkey!

Imamoglu in prison: escalate protests in Turkey!

The Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu arrested the police in his residence on Wednesday, which has led to the greatest protests in Turkey for over a decade. Hundreds of demonstrators who went on the streets against the arrest of the popular politician were also arrested. According to the report by Krone , Imamoglu remains in prison until the negotiation, since a court has decided to take him into custody due to the ongoing corruption investigation. The allegations that he rejects as "unimaginable accusations and defamation" include both corruption and connections to terrorist organizations.

Imamoglu came into focus after winning three local elections against Erdogan's ruling party in the past. His advancement as mayor of Istanbul, a city with 16 million inhabitants, was called a political miracle by many. His arrest is widely seen as an attempt to invalidate one of the main opponents of Erdogan and thus increase the political pressure on the opposition. AP reported that there could be a targeted strategy behind the arrest To prevent imamoglu from a presidential candidacy, as surveys indicate that he could defeat Erdogan in an election.

During his fight, Imamoglu has experienced a variety of legal challenges, also the cancellation of an election result 2019, which led to a repeated ballot, which he also won. A day before his arrest, the Istanbul University also canceled its diploma due to alleged inconsistencies, which could legally exclude it from the presidency. According to reports, there has been a wave of arrests and repression against political opponents in Turkey in recent months, which further destabilizes the country's legal and political landscape.