Suspended mayor of Istanbul, arrested for corruption, nominated Chp candidate. Protests across the country with over 700 arrests
Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul suspended from office and arrested yesterday, has been officially nominated as a candidate for the 2028 presidential elections by the Republican People’s Party (Chp), the main opposition force in Turkey. The confirmation came via a Chp spokesman to the Afp agency, after Imamoglu was the only candidate in the party’s internal primaries.
Imamoglu, who is accused of corruption, denies all charges and described his arrest as part of a political strategy to silence him. His detention sparked protests across the country, culminating in violent clashes with the police. According to the BBC, last night was the most intense in terms of clashes, with tear gas and rubber bullets being used against protesters.
The demonstrations, which started five days ago, involved tens of thousands of people in at least 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces. More than 700 people were arrested, including several politicians and journalists. The Communist Party of Turkey (CPT) reported the arrest of Ahmet Dincel, party leader in Istanbul, and four other members who took part in the protests. The Turkish journalists’ union also reported the arrest of nine reporters, including a photojournalist from the Afp agency.
Turkish authorities, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are under pressure to deal with the growing wave of protests, the largest ever seen in the country since the Gezi Park demonstrations in 2013.
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