The government of Türkiye arrested Erdoğan's main political rival

This Wednesday, Turkish police arrested the communist mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as part of a series of investigations into alleged corruption and links to terrorist groups.

This arrest, along with the detention of more than a hundred people, marked a significant intensification of the crackdown on opposition and dissenting voices in Türkiye.

According to local media, prosecutors issued arrest warrants for İmamoğlu and more than 100 people. The police raided his house before dawn, detaining him around 7:30 in the morning, which sparked a series of protests in the city.

Among those detained was Murat Ongun, a close collaborator of İmamoğlu, and several district mayors. The detention occurred in a context of growing discontent following the defeats suffered by Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) in last year's local elections, which has fueled demands for early national elections.

However, the government insists that judicial decisions are independent and rejects any accusations of political motivations in actions against opposition figures.

Before his detention, İmamoğlu posted a message on social media expressing that, despite the tyranny he faced, he wouldn't be discouraged.

Despite authorities having closed several streets in Istanbul and banned demonstrations for four days, thousands of people gathered around the police headquarters and in front of Istanbul City Hall to express their support.

In a demonstration in front of City Hall, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party, accused the government of carrying out a "judicial coup" and usurping the will of the people.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç denied that the detentions had any relation to the government, insisting that investigations and judicial cases are independent processes.

However, this argument was met with skepticism by the opposition and international observers, who consider İmamoğlu's arrest an attempt to silence one of Erdoğan's main political rivals.

This event also triggered a strong reaction in the markets: Istanbul's main stock index fell by 7%, leading to a temporary halt in trading, while the Turkish lira lost about 3.5% of its value against the dollar.

İmamoğlu, who won the Istanbul municipal elections in 2019, faces strong accusations of corruption and links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization designated as terrorist by Türkiye and its international allies.

The mayor is also being investigated for potential financial crimes, and the seizure of a construction company in which he has a stake has been requested, which has heightened political tensions.

İmamoğlu's arrest coincides with the invalidation of his university diploma by Istanbul University, which would disqualify him from running in the 2028 presidential elections, as Turkish law requires a university degree for this.

Despite the detentions and uncertainty surrounding his political future, the CHP has stated that it will continue with its presidential selection process, in which İmamoğlu was the sole candidate, and that the voting will proceed as planned.

In response to the arrest, protests occurred in several Turkish cities, and protesters were confronted by police, who used tear gas and pepper spray.

Additionally, the government has restricted access to popular social networks in the country, such as WhatsApp, raising concerns about freedom of expression and the right to information in Türkiye.

The international community has also expressed concern. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called the detentions a "blow to democracy in Türkiye" and noted that the space for opposition politicians is increasingly shrinking.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Türkiye to respect democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials.

İmamoğlu's arrest occurs in a context of growing authoritarianism under Erdoğan's presidency, who has governed Türkiye for more than 20 years.

Although his term as president ends in 2028, Erdoğan has expressed his desire to remain in power, either through a constitutional change or by calling early elections.

There are fears that more opposition figures will be detained in the coming weeks as part of an intimidation campaign.