By Defne Vithlani

Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on charges of being involved in terrorism and corruption, sending Turkey into a political crisis. Around the country, many are calling in politically motivated as Imamoglu was set to run against current president Tayyip Erdogan. As a result, many protests have sparked nationwide and even globally as demonstrations took place in places like New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles. Imamoglu was arrested just hours before the CHP party released their candidate for the upcoming 2028 presidential election. Many people are also getting arrested, including Turkish journalists and other protesters, adding up to a total of about 1,400+ arrests. Erdogan’s justification for this was that they were causing a force of “evil” in this country.

Ozgur Ozel, the chairmen of the CHP party, explains to the public that the rallies will be influential and effective, powered by the belief in democracy and Imamoglu. Despite being arrested, Imamoglu has been confirmed to be the presidential candidate for the 2028 election. 

In truth, Imamoglu and Erdogan have had a primarily competitive relationship for many years. Erdogan views him as a very eligible competition as he has beaten AKP, the party founded by Erdogan in the local election for mayor of Istanbul. Knowing that Imamoglu was set to be the candidate for the election, he was threatened by him. Before the arrest, the Istanbul university revoked Imamoglu’s degree, saying it was falsely obtained. Imamoglu denied this claim and took the university to court, saying it was politically motivated. 

Works Cited

Burak Ünveren. “Turkey: Who Is Erdogan’s Popular Rival Ekrem Imamoglu?” Dw.com, Deutsche Welle, 23 Mar. 2025, amp.dw.com/en/turkey-who-is-erdogans-popular-rival-ekrem-imamoglu/a-72010940. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Jazeera, Al. “Turkiye Detains over 1,100 as Erdogan Blames “Evil” Opposition for Protests.” Al Jazeera, 24 Mar. 2025, www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/3/24/turkiye-detains-over-1100-as-erdogan-blames-evil-opposition-for-protests. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

The Economist. “Erdogan Arrests the Candidate Who Could Beat Him.” The Economist, 19 Mar. 2025, www.economist.com/europe/2025/03/19/erdogan-arrests-the-candidate-who-could-beat-him. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

“Turkey Protests: CHP Vows Protests Will Continue “in Every City” – BBC News.” BBC News, www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr52g356l41o.amp.