Public ministries accuse ekrem ̇mamamlu of benefiting from their position to obtain economic benefits, including the improper prize of public contracts. His arrest is seen as a political attempt to eliminate a key rival of the next presidential race.
Thousands of people gathered in front of the municipal council of Istanbul For the second consecutive night to protest against the arrest of the mayor of the city. An arrest that many consider a I am politically driven by the elimination of an opponent Key of the next presidential race.
Ekrem İMamamlu, Destacado Political opponent of the President Reck Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested on Wednesday at dawn After a raid in his residence in the framework of some investigations for alleged corruption and ties with terrorism. Public ministries accuse him of benefiting from his position to obtain economic benefits, including the improper prize of public contracts.
In a separate investigation, public ministries also accuse him of helping the outlaw of the workers of Kurdistan (PKK), who presumably form An alliance with groups of Curdi for the municipal elections of Istanbul.
Ankara, the European Union, the United States and other allies consider the PKK, head of the insurrection in Türkiye for decades, a terrorist organization. It was not clear when the authorities would start questioning the mayor, who can remain detained without accusations for up to four days. Analysts say that ̇Mamamlu could be fired and replaced by a “trustee mayor” if it is formally accused Connections with PKK.
The detention of the politician aggravated the concern for democracy and triggered protests in Istanbul and other parts of the country, Despite the ban on demonstrating in the city for four days and the closure of some roads. He also caused an expansive wave in the financial market, causing the temporary interruption of operations on Wednesday to avoid panic sales.
The AK parts refuses the accusations of interference
Critics believe that repression is an attempt by Erdoğan to extend his mandate of over two decades after the important support losses suffered by the party in power In the elections Local of last year. Government officials Refuse the accusations that judicial actions against opposition figures have political reasons And they insist that the courts act independently.
Ömer çelik, spokesperson for the party of justice and development (Ak parts) led by Erdoğan, The accusations of the opposition according to which the arrests were orchestrated by the Government and urged to respect the judicial trial rejected. “What a politician should do is follow the judicial trial,” çelik said to journalists. “None of us have information on the content of the criminal file,” he added.
He also rejected the accusations expressed by The main opposition partyThe Republican Party of the People (CHP), that The arrest of the mayor of Istanbul was equivalent to a coup d’état. “The name of our party, of our president, can only be associated with democracy, from the contrary to a coup d’état,” he said.
Previously, Thursday, the Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya said that the authorities had arrested dozens of people for sharing “provocative” content on social networks relating to the arrest of İMamuğlu. The authorities identified 261 social media account that shared publications that presumably pushed public hatred or crimeincluding 62 led by people founded abroad, Yerlikaya wrote in an X publication.
At least 37 of the alleged owners were arrested and continued the efforts to arrest other suspicions. The arrest of İMamuğlu occurred a few days before being appointed presidential candidate of the CHP in the primaries scheduled for this Sunday. The party leader indicated that the primaries will continue as expected.
Imamoğlu before other positions that could take him to prison
Before his arrest, İMamoğlu has already faced multiple criminal causes that could lead to prison sentences and a political ban. Also A 2022 sentence appealed for the offensive members of the supreme electoral council of TürkiyeA case that could bring it political disqualification.
This week, A university canceled his diplomaSupporting alleged irregularities in his transfer in 1990 of a private university in the north of Chipre to his business faculty, a decision that ̇Mamuğlu said that he would reconnect.
The decision prevents him from presenting himself in the presidential elections, since the position requires that the candidates will graduate in university. İmamoğlu He was elected mayor of the largest city in Türkiye in March 2019, A historic blow to Erdoğan and the Ak Partsthat I had checked Istanbul for a quarter of a century.
Erdoğan’s political formation Pushed to cancel the results of the municipal elections in the cityin which about 16 million people reside, claiming irregularities. The challenge led to the repetition of the elections a few months later, which also won ̇Mamamlu.
