Turkey’s opposition leader visits jailed Istanbul mayor following new protest
Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated and sparked demonstrations across the country.
The head of Turkey’s main opposition party visited jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Tuesday after six nights of massive protests calling for his release.
Mr Imamoglu, arrested on March 19 on corruption charges, is seen as the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule.
His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated and sparked demonstrations, some turning violent, across the country.
The government insists Turkey’s judiciary is independent and free of political influence.
Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Mr Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), arrived at Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, in a convoy of vehicles on Tuesday morning.
After a two-hour meeting, Mr Ozel told reporters that he was “ashamed on behalf of those who govern Turkey of the atmosphere I am in and the situation that Turkey is being put through”.
He described Mr Imamoglu and two jailed CHP district mayors he also met as “three lions inside, standing tall, with their heads held high… proud of themselves, their families, their colleagues, not afraid”.
Mr Ozel announced the night before that Tuesday evening would be the CHP’s final rally outside Istanbul’s City Hall, calling for people to join in.
He also said the party would appoint a member to the municipal council to act as mayor in Mr Imamoglu’s place, staving off the possibility of a state-appointed one.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities have been cracking down on journalists as protests grew.
The Media and Law Studies Association, a civil society group, said eight journalists who were detained “for covering protests in Istanbul”, banned by authorities, had been brought to the city’s Caglayan Courthouse. They are accused of “violating the law on meetings and demonstrations”, the group said.
Media workers’ unions have condemned the arrests as an “attack on press freedoms and the people’s right to learn the truth”.
Demonstrations in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, as well as smaller cities and towns across Turkey, have been largely peaceful with protesters demanding Mr Imamoglu’s release and an end to democratic backsliding.
However, some turned violent, with officers deploying water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray and firing plastic pellets at protesters, some of whom have hurled stones, fireworks and other objects at riot police.
Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said early Tuesday that police had detained 43 “provocateurs” over what he said were “vile insults” hurled at Mr Erdogan and his family at protests. Some 1,133 protesters were detained between Wednesday and Sunday, he said earlier.
Mr Ozel and Mr Imamoglu’s social media accounts posted condemnations of insults hurled at Mr Erdogan’s mother.
Mr Imamoglu has been jailed on suspicion of running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data and bid-rigging — accusations he has denied. He also faces prosecution on terror-related charges and has been suspended from duty as a “temporary measure”.
Alongside Mr Imamoglu, 47 other people have been jailed pending trial, including a key aide and two district mayors from Istanbul.
Although Turkey is not due for another election until 2028, there is a reasonable possibility that Mr Erdogan will call for an early vote in order to run for another term.
Mr Imamoglu has been confirmed as the candidate for the CHP and has performed well in recent polls against Mr Erdogan.
He was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019, in a major blow to Mr Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul alongside its predecessors for a quarter of a century.
