Turkey: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s Main Opponent, Arrested on Corruption and Terrorism Charges

Istanbul, March 19, 2025, 2:00 PM PDT – Ekrem Imamoglu, the 53-year-old mayor of Istanbul and Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chief political rival, was detained Wednesday on charges of “corruption” and “supporting a terrorist organization,” just days before his expected designation as the presidential candidate for the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition. The CHP denounced the arrest as a “coup against our next president,” as reported by Reuters and shared on X by @CHPorg.

Millet iradesine darbe vuruluyor. pic.twitter.com/waXHu23ZVN — Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 19, 2025

Details of the Arrest

Imamoglu, who has led Istanbul’s 16-million-strong metropolis since 2019, was arrested at dawn at his home during the Ramadan suhoor meal, according to his wife, Dilek Imamoglu, on private channel NTV. In a video on X, he criticized the police raid, saying, “Hundreds of officers arrived at my door,” while adjusting his tie. The operation also targeted over 100 CHP officials, including council members, advisors, and businessmen, accused of corruption and ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), per Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç’s statement on X.

Prosecutors claim Imamoglu led a “profit-driven criminal organization” involved in corruption and extortion, while seven suspects, including him, face terrorism charges for alleged PKK links, as detailed in an Istanbul prosecutor’s statement. Among those arrested are a mayoral advisor, a district councilor, a prominent journalist, and a film producer, per AFP. Imamoglu, temporarily replaced by deputy mayor Nuri Aslan during his detention, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, per The Guardian.

Public and Political Backlash

Hundreds of Imamoglu’s supporters gathered outside Istanbul’s police headquarters, with thousands more rallying at City Hall Tuesday night, braving cold weather to chant “Erdogan Dictator!,” “Istanbul in the streets, thieves in the palace!,” and “Imamoglu, you’re not alone!” AFP reported. CHP leader Özgür Özel, atop a bus addressing the crowd, accused Erdogan of orchestrating a “coup attempt” to “cancel the people’s will,” standing alongside Dilek Imamoglu, who called the charges baseless, saying, “His only crime is winning hearts and being the next president!”

Istanbul Governor’s Office banned all gatherings until Sunday, barricading iconic Taksim Square and restricting social media access, per Hurriyet Daily News. A shopkeeper, Kuzey, told AFP, “We’re in a dictatorship. This guy and his gang hate anyone strong—they panic and act illegally.”

Economic Fallout

Imamoglu’s arrest triggered an immediate plunge in the Turkish lira, hitting a record low of 40 liras per dollar, forcing the Central Bank to intervene, as reported by Bloomberg. The Istanbul Stock Exchange fell 8.72%, and banking stocks dropped 9.88%, with trading halted temporarily after a market-wide circuit breaker, per Reuters. Posts on X, like @TurkeyEconomy’s, warned of investor fears over rule of law, while @BorsaIstanbul confirmed the crash.

Political Context and Erdogan’s Crackdown

Imamoglu, a charismatic and popular figure, became Erdogan’s nemesis after defeating his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Istanbul’s 2019 and 2024 elections, ending Erdogan’s decades-long dominance in the city he once led as mayor in the 1990s, per The Washington Post. Facing multiple legal cases, including five others launched since January, Imamoglu accused the judiciary of “harassment,” as noted on X by @Ekrem_Imamoglu.

The arrest coincides with a broader crackdown on opposition, Kurds, journalists, and artists, as detailed in a February 2025 The Globalist report on Erdogan’s regime. Six CHP mayors are detained or under investigation, and 10 pro-Kurdish mayors have been ousted recently, per Al Jazeera. Tuesday, Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu’s degree, a constitutional requirement for presidential candidacy, prompting him to denounce it as “illegal” and pledge legal action, per Hurriyet.

Expert Analysis

Berk Esen of Sabanci University told AFP the arrest pushes Turkey “further toward autocracy, like Venezuela, Russia, and Belarus,” labeling it a “coup against the main opposition party.” Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute suggested Erdogan feared Imamoglu’s unstoppable rise, per Politico. With the 2028 presidential election looming, Imamoglu’s candidacy—set for confirmation Sunday—now hangs in balance, as reported by CNN Turk.

Regional and International Reaction

The U.S. and EU, via X posts by @StateDept and @EU_Commission, expressed concern over Turkey’s democratic backsliding, with the lira’s crash prompting warnings from @IMFNews. Protests in Istanbul, captured on X by @TurkeyWatch, signal growing domestic unrest, while Algeria and Egypt, per Anadolu Agency, criticized Erdogan’s tactics, fearing regional instability.

As of 2:00 PM PDT, Imamoglu remains in custody, with his trial date pending. The arrest risks deepening Turkey’s isolation, amid economic woes and Erdogan’s tightening grip, per a March 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis.