High tensions in Turkey following the imprisonment of Erdogan's rival

The massive support of Ekrem Imamoglu's supporters, especially in Istanbul where he's the elected mayor, didn't prevent the Ankara government from neutralising Erdogan's rival. Charged with "corruption," the opponent has been imprisoned.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan doesn't intend to give any chance to his rival Ekrem Imamoğlu, mayor of Istanbul since 2019. The CHP party leader, ready to challenge Turkey's authoritarian leader in the 2028 presidential elections, was imprisoned on Sunday, 23 March 2025, after his arrest on Wednesday, 19 March for "corruption" and "support to a terrorist group", understood as the Kurdish PKK party. 47 other people have met the same fate on the same charges. For their supporters, all this is nothing but a scheme to prevent the 53-year-old left-wing politician from facing Erdogan. Moreover, the arrest of the mayor - who was suspended from his duties immediately afterwards - caused a great deal of emotion among part of the population, with gatherings notably in Taksim Square.

Takeover

His imprisonment after 4 days in police custody has further galvanised opponents of the Ankara regime. The number of protesters has increased since his arrest on Wednesday, 19 March. The tension was extreme on Sunday evening, as each protester risks arrest. The slogans were unequivocal: "Right, law, justice", "Government resign", "Do not be afraid". Among the crowd, many young people say that they want to save Turkish democracy. For them, Ankara's manoeuvre is a sign of Erdogan's desire to turn Turkey into an autocracy. "Turkey is heading towards dictatorship" or "We went to sleep in Turkey, we woke up in Russia" chanted opponents, demonstrators and independent journalists. They're facing a government that will install a new municipal council in Istanbul and hopes that tensions will subside. Meanwhile, the CHP confirmed Ekrem Imamoğlu's candidacy for the elections.

(MH with Olivier Duquesne – Sources: Le Soir & RFI – Picture: © picture alliance / Anadolu | Murat Sengul)