Istanbul Mayor Introduced as Opposition Candidate for Presidency

Turkey's opposition party has selected Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as its candidate for the presidential election on the day he was dismissed from his position by the Erdoğan government. Following a court ruling to continue the detention of İmamoğlu, he called on his supporters to hold nationwide protests on Sunday, Farvardin 3. İmamoğlu, who has been arrested, must now remain in jail until his trial is held. Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced on the same day that following İmamoğlu's official arrest on corruption charges, he has been temporarily removed from his position. According to Reuters, the Istanbul Municipal Council, where the Republican People's Party holds the majority, is expected to appoint an acting mayor in the coming days. Two district mayors of Istanbul who were arrested alongside İmamoğlu have also been removed from their positions. Concurrently, Özgür Özel, the opposition leader, officially nominated İmamoğlu as his party's candidate to compete against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Özel also urged Erdoğan to hold early elections and accept İmamoğlu as his rival. On his X account, İmamoğlu described his arrest as 'treason against Turkey' and called for protests across the country. The protests led to the arrest of dozens of demonstrators. Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey's Minister of Interior, announced on Sunday that 323 people were arrested during the protests on Saturday night for 'creating chaos.' He also stated that police arrested 343 people during protests on Friday night in major Turkish cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, and Antalya. A Turkish court officially issued an arrest warrant for İmamoğlu on Sunday, ordering him to remain in jail until his trial on corruption charges. The Istanbul mayor, a member of the Republican People's Party, was arrested late last week after police raided his residence, sparking one of the largest street protests in Turkey in over a decade and deepening concerns about democracy and the rule of law in the country. Many view his imprisonment as a political move to eliminate a serious rival from the upcoming presidential election, currently scheduled for 2028. However, government officials deny that judicial actions against opposition figures are politically motivated, insisting that Turkish courts operate independently. The Turkish prosecutor's office has stated that the court has sent İmamoğlu to prison on suspicion of running a criminal organization, receiving bribes, extortion, illegally seizing personal data, and colluding in tenders. Reuters reported, based on court documents in Turkey, that the Istanbul mayor has denied the terrorism-related charges against him. In addition to İmamoğlu, 47 others are also imprisoned awaiting trial, including a key aide and two district mayors of Istanbul. Furthermore, 44 other suspects have been released under judicial supervision. In response to these arrests, peaceful protests have been held across Turkey since Wednesday, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to support İmamoğlu. However, in some instances, gatherings turned violent, and police in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir used water cannons, tear gas, and plastic bullets against protesters. Some protesters also threw stones, fireworks, and other objects at police forces. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, warned on Friday at a rally in Istanbul that his government would not tolerate 'disruption of public order' and 'vandalism.' The Republican People's Party had previously called for continued peaceful protests free from violence.