The mayor of Istanbul and the presidential rival Erdogan were arrested

Istanbul mayor was arrested as part of an investigation into Turkish corruption – just days before his choice as a presidential candidate.

EKREM Imamoglu, from the Secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), is seen as one of its strongest political competitors in the Turkish president.

Prosecutors say he is accused of “suspected of the criminal organization.” One hundred suspects, including other politicians, journalists, and businessmen, were also arrested as part of the investigation.

“People’s will cannot be silenced,” said Imamoglu. Government media reports for four days on meetings, demonstrations and press data have been imposed in the city.

When moving to social media in the wake of the allegations against it, IMamoglu pledged to “stand” to the people of Türkiye “and all who support democracy and justice around the world.

“I stand firm in my battle for basic rights and freedoms,” he added.

Dozens of police officers participated in an early raid in the IMamoglu house in the historic Turkish city

The presidential Chp, in which IMamoglu is the only candidate, will be chosen on Sunday.

This came a day after the Istanbul University canceled its degree, which is a decision, if he supported, will prevent him from running in the presidential elections. According to the Turkish constitution, the presidents must have completed higher education for pregnancy.

Imamoglu described the move as “legal baseless”, adding that universities “must remain independent, free of political intervention, and devoted to knowledge.”

Its Republican People’s Party was distinguished by its recent interventions against it as a “coup attempt” to prevent the nation from identifying the next president.

The party leader, Ozgur Ozel, wrote to X that making decisions on behalf of people, replacing their will, or using force to prevent it, reached a coup.

Its vice president, Ilhan Ozuj, accused the government of using detention as a tool to intimidate “Türkiye’s opposition.

“Very concerned about the state of democracy in Türkiye in general,” he told the BBC.

The pro -government media reported that, in addition to accusing it of blackmail and fraud, it is also claimed that IMamoglu has helped the PKK.

The Kurdistan Workers Party – or the Kurdistan Labor Party – has launched a rebellion since 1984, and prohibits it as a terrorist group in Türkiye, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This is not the first time that imamoglu has a brush with law.

In 2022, He was sentenced to more than two and a half years in prison To insult public employees in a letter.

After the mass detention on Wednesday, a four -day ban was put in all demonstrations, meetings and press data in Istanbul, which is said to be “maintaining public order and preventing possible provocative measures.”

Several streets in Istanbul were closed in front of traffic, while some metro lines have also canceled their services.