On March 23, the Istanbul court made a decision to arrest city mayor Akrom Imamo‘g‘li. According to the court's decision, Imamo‘g‘li will remain in custody until the case regarding corruption charges is reviewed in court.
Opposition and public reaction
This court decision has sparked widespread discussions in Turkey. Ankara mayor Mansur Yavash called it a "disgrace for the judicial system." Imamo‘g‘li's arrest occurred while demonstrations supporting him were ongoing across Turkey.
Since March 19, hundreds of people have been detained during the protests. On March 22, Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 323 people had been arrested during the protests in Istanbul and other cities.
Imamo‘g‘li's political activity
Akrom Imamo‘g‘li is considered one of the leaders of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). He was seen as the main rival to Recep Tayyip Erdogʻan in the 2028 presidential elections.
2019 – Imamo‘g‘li was elected as the mayor of Istanbul.
2019 – The Supreme Election Council annulled his victory, but he won the repeat election by an even larger margin.
2024 – Imamo‘g‘li was re-elected as the mayor of Istanbul.
Arrest and diploma controversy
On the morning of March 19, Turkish police arrested Imamo‘g‘li and about 100 other individuals. Among them were high-ranking officials from the Istanbul administration and mayoral advisor Murat Ongun.
Additionally, Istanbul University stated that irregularities occurred during Imamo‘g‘li's transfer from a private university in Northern Cyprus to its business administration faculty in 1990, and thus annulled his diploma. In Turkey, a higher education degree is required to run for president, which may affect Imamo‘g‘li's chances of participating in the elections.
Imamo‘g‘li's arrest and the controversies surrounding his diploma are further intensifying political tensions in Turkey. The opposition views this process as a political attack by the Erdogʻan government ahead of the elections. These events could significantly impact Imamo‘g‘li's future political fate and the outcomes of the 2028 elections.
