Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main competitor from the Turkish police detained

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The Turkish police have imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who shortly was expected as the main opposition challenger by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The detention of İmamoğlus was part of an investigation of the alleged terrorist compounds, which received the support of a pro-Kurdish political group in the 2024 local elections, the state news agency Anadolu said.

He faces a flood of criminal probes, mainly because of his political speeches, and has accused the government of using the judiciary to maintain power.

“Hundreds of police are at my door,” said İmamoğlu in a voice message shared by his office. “This immoral and tyrannical approach is undoubtedly lifted by the will and the resilience of our people.”

İmamoğlu is one of the most popular political personalities in Türkiye and won the re -election as mayor of the city of 16 million people with a big lead less than a year ago.

Opinion surveys show him before Erdoğan in a competition for the country’s top office.

His Republican People’s Party will hold a primary school on Sunday to name her presidential candidate, and İmamoğlu was the only candidate.

The elections are planned for 2028, but the party said that the naming of their candidate should now force parliament to call an SnAP survey.

The detention of İmamoğlu takes place a day after the state -owned Istanbul university canceled its university degree, which prevents him from entering the presidential race if it has not switched in the appeal procedure.

This is a developing story