Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbuls mayor a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and several other prominent figures as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links.
The detention of Ekrem Imamoglu was a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkey.The state-run Anadolu Agency said prosecutors issued warrants for Imamoglu and some 100 other people.
Police raided his residence near dawn and detained the mayor at around 7:30 a.m., his wife said.
Among those detained was Imamoglus close aide, Murat Ongun and two district mayors.Critics say the crackdown follows significant losses by Erdogans ruling party in local elections last year amid growing calls for early national elections.
Government officials insist that the courts operate independently and reject claims that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated.We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged, Imamoglu said earlier in the day in a video post on social media.Authorities closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days in an apparent effort to prevent protests following the arrest.Despite the ban, people gathered at Istanbuls police headquarters, carrying posters of the mayor and banners with his photo around their shoulders.
Others chanted slogans and raised their fists in the air as riot police cordoned off the facility.Thousands of people later joined a rally outside the city hall, where the leader of the mayors party, the main opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, accused the government of carrying out a coup.Lets call it what it is: a coup attempt, Ozgur Ozel told the crowd.
Today, the will of the people is being seized and usurped through a judicial coup targeting the people of Istanbul.Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told reporters the arrests had nothing to do with the government.
Linking investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our President is, at best, presumptuous and inappropriate, he said.(Source: AP)