Turkish authorities detained President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival on Wednesday (March 19) on charges including corruption and aiding a terrorist group, in what the main opposition party called “a coup attempt against our next president,” Reuters reports.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), faces two separate investigations that also include charges of leading a crime organization, bribery and tender rigging. Imamoglu’s party was poised within days to name him its challenger to Erdogan, who has run Turkey for more than two decades. The two-term mayor is widely seen as competitive in any future poll.
In a video he shared on his X account, Imamoglu said he would not give up and would continue standing straight in the face of pressure.
The detention came a day after Istanbul University annulled Imamoglu’s degree, which if upheld would block him from running in presidential elections. The next vote is set for 2028 but it must come earlier if Erdogan wants to run again.
