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What we know about Istanbul's mayor and why he was arrested

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What we know about Istanbul's mayor and why he was arrested
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What we know about Istanbul's mayor and why he was arrested

2025-03-20 00:39 Last Updated At:00:40

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a popular figure, had basked in the glow of what he often jokingly dubbed his political miracle — the only person to have beaten Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party in not one, but three local elections.

On Wednesday, dozens of police officers raided his residence around dawn and detained him for questioning as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links.

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FILE - Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses his supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)

FILE - Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses his supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)

People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Ozgur Ozel, the leader of opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, right, waves to people gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Ozgur Ozel, the leader of opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, right, waves to people gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People gather outside the headquarters of the opposition Republican People's Party or (CHP) to protest following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Unal)

People gather outside the headquarters of the opposition Republican People's Party or (CHP) to protest following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Unal)

Security have cordons off the area around City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Security have cordons off the area around City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Police have cordons off the roads lead to the Vatan security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is supposed to be taken, following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Police have cordons off the roads lead to the Vatan security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is supposed to be taken, following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman protests, holding a poster of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a police cordon blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman protests, holding a poster of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a police cordon blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Many see the arrest as part of a broader campaign to undermine the mayor and eliminate a key challenger to Erdogan before the next presidential elections. The move has raised concerns about the fairness of future elections under Erdogan who has grown increasingly authoritarian during his more than two-decade rule as prime minister and president.

It is also the latest in a string of crackdowns on opponents and dissenters in Turkey in recent years.

When the 53-year-old businessman and former district mayor was chosen to run as mayor for Turkey’s largest city and economic hub in 2019, he was largely an unknown figure and many skeptics questioned the decision. The former leader of his pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP, reassured critics that once the people got to know him, his charm would resonate with voters.

Imamoglu went on to win the election, delivering a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. The loss of Istanbul was a significant setback to Erdogan who himself had launched his political career as the mayor of the metropolis of 16 million.

Imamoglu was able to serve as mayor for just 18 days before the election result was annulled and his mandate was revoked over alleged vote irregularities.

The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won - with a larger margin.

In an interview with The Associated Press at the time, Imamoglu said: “I believe the people of Istanbul will give the necessary response to this injustice at the polls as a result of their belief in democracy. And God willing, the victors will be Istanbul and democracy.”

The mayor went on to win last year’s local elections when the CHP made significant gains amid a sharp economic decline.

On Sunday, the CHP was scheduled to hold a primary election where Imamoglu is to be nominated its candidate for the presidency. The party’s leader has said the primary will go ahead despite Imamoglu’s detention.

“Imamoglu is very relatable, very likeable for the common voter," said Soner Cagaptay, an expert on Turkey at the Washington Institute, adding that no CHP leader has managed to build a “base of adoring supporters until Imamoglu entered the stage.”

The raid on Imamoglu’s residence and his arrest came after Istanbul prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the mayor and more than 100 other people as part of investigations into alleged corruption, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

The suspects are accused of alleged racketeering and a multitude of other financial crimes.

The mayor is also suspected of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, by allegedly forming an alliance with a Kurdish umbrella organization for the Istanbul municipal elections. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

The CHP and other opposition critics see a politically motivated plot against one of Turkey’s most popular politicians and accuse Erdogan’s government of carrying out a “coup” to prevent his political rise. The justice minister has rejected the claims of alleged government pressure over the courts, insisting the judiciary was acting impartially.

Opinion polls have indicated that Imamoglu could defeat Erdogan if he ran for president.

Cagaptay said Erdogan had numerous ways to undermine Imamoglu's candidacy, such as leveraging his control over media, institutions and the judiciary, as well as exploiting an uneven political landscape.

"But for him to go for the nuclear option of arresting him tells me that it is not Imamoglu but Erdogan who seems to be in trouble,” Cagaptay said.

"Just as Imamoglu was about to anointed as the CHP presidential candidate ... Erdogan decided to nip him in bud,” he said.

A day before his arrest, Istanbul University invalidated Imamoglu’s diploma, citing alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its Faculty of Business Administration.

The unprecedented decision effectively disqualifies the politician from running for president. Under Turkish laws, only university graduates can hold presidential office. Imamoglu has said he will legally challenge the decision.

Even before his arrest, Imamoglu faced a barrage of legal challenges, including allegations of trying to influence a judicial expert investigating opposition-led municipalities and allegedly threatening a prosecutor. The cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban.

In 2022, he was convicted of insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council following the annulment of the 2019 mayoral race and sentenced to more than two years in prison. He appealed his conviction, which could also bar him from holding public office, and has remained free during the ongoing process.

Recent months in Turkey have seen a wave of arrests and crackdowns targeting political figures and activists, including journalists and elected mayors who have been removed from office and replaced with government-appointed officials.

Two business leaders were briefly detained and are now facing prosecution for criticizing the government's policies. A talent manager representing several Turkish actors was arrested in January and charged with attempting to overthrow the government for her alleged involvement in anti-government protests in 2013.

Umit Ozdag, the leader of a small far-right party and outspoken Erdogan critic was also arrested in January on charges of inciting hatred and hostility, through a series of anti-refugee posts on social media.

Among other high-profile detainees are Selahattin Demirtas, the popular former leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish political party who was arrested in 2016 on terrorism-related charges and Osman Kavala, a businessman and rights activist who was imprisoned in 2017 for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. Their continued detention despite European Court of Human Rights decisions toward their release has drawn international condemnation.

FILE - Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses his supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)

FILE - Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses his supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)

People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Ozgur Ozel, the leader of opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, right, waves to people gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Ozgur Ozel, the leader of opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, right, waves to people gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People gather outside the City Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People gather outside the headquarters of the opposition Republican People's Party or (CHP) to protest following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Unal)

People gather outside the headquarters of the opposition Republican People's Party or (CHP) to protest following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Unal)

Security have cordons off the area around City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Security have cordons off the area around City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Police have cordons off the roads lead to the Vatan security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is supposed to be taken, following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Police have cordons off the roads lead to the Vatan security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is supposed to be taken, following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman protests, holding a poster of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a police cordon blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman protests, holding a poster of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a police cordon blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Next Article

At least 9 dead in drone strikes after US and Ukraine sign minerals deal

2025-05-01 23:03 Last Updated At:23:11

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone attack left at least seven people dead and a Russian strike on Odesa killed two people on Thursday, officials said, just hours after Kyiv and Washington signed a long-anticipated agreement granting U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.

The attack in the partially occupied Kherson region of southern Ukraine, which struck a market in the town of Oleshky, killed seven and wounded more than 20 people, Moscow-appointed Gov. Vladimir Saldo said.

"At the time of the attack, there were many people in the market,” Saldo wrote on Telegram. After the first wave of strikes, he said, Ukraine sent further drones to “finish off” any survivors.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Odesa early Thursday killed two people and injured 15 others, Ukrainian emergency services said.

Regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said the barrage struck apartment buildings, private homes, a supermarket and a school.

Videos shared by Kiper on Telegram showed a high-rise building with a severely damaged facade, a shattered storefront and firefighters battling flames.

A drone struck and ignited a fire at a petrol station in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Following the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had ignored a U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire for more than 50 days now.

“There were also our proposals — at the very least, to refrain from striking civilian infrastructure and to establish lasting silence in the sky, at sea, and on land,” he said. "Russia has responded to all this with new shelling and new assaults.”

The U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, finalizing a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia.

Tymofiy Mylovanov, former economy minister and current president of the Kyiv School of Economics, said Thursday that despite what he described as “unimaginable pressure” during negotiations on the newly signed minerals deal, Ukraine succeeded in defending its interests.

“This is a huge political and diplomatic win for Ukraine,” Mylovanov wrote on Facebook. “The deal looks fair.”

Mylovanov said the deal includes no requirement for Ukraine to repay previous U.S. aid, nor does it restrict Kyiv to selling only to American buyers. Instead, he said, the deal recognizes contributions from both sides: Ukraine’s in the form of revenues from new projects, and the U.S. potentially through military assistance.

Kyiv residents voiced mixed reactions Thursday morning to the newly signed U.S.-Ukraine agreement, with many saying they had not yet had time to fully understand the deal’s implications.

Among those who spoke to The Associated Press about the deal was Diana Abramova, who attended a rally in Independence Square demanding information on missing Ukrainian soldiers. Her father, Valentyn Stroyvans, went missing in combat last year.

“Any news is hard to take — whether it’s about negotiations or anything else,” Abramova said. “But I still believe and hope that any action will bring us closer to one thing: Ukraine’s victory. Only victory.”

Seventy-four-year-old university lecturer Natalia Vysotska said she wasn’t familiar with the details of the agreement but remained cautiously optimistic.

"I don’t know what the terms are — they may not be favorable for Ukraine at all. Still, if it was signed, our experts must have weighed the pros and cons. I hope it will be beneficial.”

Others shared a more skeptical view. Iryna Vasylevska, a 37-year-old Kyiv resident, expressed frustration and disillusionment with the broader implications of the deal.

She told the AP she feels terrible that “our land is just a bargaining chip for the rest of the world and that we do not have our own full protection, but rely on someone.”

“My vision is that instead of strengthening ourselves, we continue to give it all away. I feel sorry for our land and for our people,” she said.

Reaction to the signing was generally muted in Moscow on Wednesday, a holiday in Russia. But the deputy chair of Russia’s National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that Trump had forced Ukraine to effectively “pay” for American military aid with its mineral resources.

“Now military supplies will have to be paid for with the national wealth of a disappearing country," he claimed in a post on Telegram.

Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the Russian Civic Chamber’s commission on sovereignty, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that Zelenskyy had effectively handed Ukraine over to “legally prescribed slavery.”

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down eight Ukrainian drones overnight on Sunday. The statement was made on Thursday.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Morton reported from London.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at an apartment house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at an apartment house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a rescuer helps evacuate residents from their damaged house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a rescuer helps evacuate residents from their damaged house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at an apartment house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at an apartment house following Russia's air raid in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

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