The Turkish Interior Ministry announced on Sunday the removal of Ekrem Imamoglu from the post of mayor of Istanbul due to a court ruling convicting him as part of a corruption investigation.
The ministry’s statement explained that Imamoglu was arrested on multiple charges, including “illegal recording of personal information, accepting bribes, manipulating tenders for public institutions and organizations, and establishing an organization to commit a crime.”
The ministry continued: Based on the decision of the 10th Istanbul Peace Court No. 2025/347 dated March 23, 2025 and in accordance with Article 127 of the Turkish Constitution and Article 47 of the Municipalities Law No. 5393, Imamoglu was temporarily suspended from his duties by the Ministry of Interior.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Council, where the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) holds a majority, is set to elect a mayor in the coming days after Imamoglu’s removal.
The ministry also said that the mayors of two other municipalities were also dismissed, namely Dozu Murat Çalık, the mayor of Beylikduzu, and Rasul Umreşahan, the mayor of Şişli.
The Republican People’s Party of Türkiye condemned Imamoglu’s arrest, declaring it a political move.
Following Imamoglu’s arrest, the streets of Türkiye witnessed protest unrest, with protests starting in universities, the Istanbul municipality headquarters, and other locations and spreading throughout Türkiye.
While the government considers the opposition protests to be a show and a way to divert attention from domestic problems, the leader of the opposition party called on his supporters to continue the protests and accused Erdogan of being afraid of public unrest.
The protests have continued despite government efforts to suppress them, and protesters have declared that they will not rest as long as Imamoglu is in custody.
Istanbul Mayor’s Reaction to Temporary Prison Sentence
The mayor of Istanbul, in response to his temporary prison sentence, said he would never kneel. The mayor of Istanbul, in response to his temporary prison sentence, said he would never kneel.
According to the court’s ruling, the mayor of Istanbul, a key figure in the Turkish government’s opposition, must remain in prison until the final trial.
