Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office Demands Pre-trial Detention for İmamoğlu

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office Demands Pre-trial Detention for İmamoğlu 1 hour • 3 minutes reading time The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has demanded pre-trial detention for the arrested mayor and Erdogan rival Ekrem İmamoğlu. This was reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency. İmamoğlu is now scheduled to appear before a judge. The CHP politician is facing charges related to terrorism and corruption in two separate proceedings. According to Anadolu, pre-trial detention was requested in both cases. Specifically, the corruption investigations involve suspicion of membership in a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, fraud, and tender rigging. The terrorism investigations, therefore, involve allegations of support for the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). İmamoğlu vehemently denies the allegations. Critics see the action against İmamoğlu as an attempt by the government to eliminate a political opponent and believe the allegations are fabricated. The street protests are also explicitly directed against the government. İmamoğlu is considered a promising rival to incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming presidential election. Despite his arrest, the Istanbul mayor was expected to be nominated as presidential candidate by the opposition CHP this Sunday. In the nationwide vote on İmamoğlu's candidacy, citizens, along with 1.7 million CHP party members, are being called upon to symbolically vote at 4,000 ballot boxes across the country. İmamoğlu is the only candidate. The results are expected to be announced on Sunday evening. Candidacy depends on pro-government authority The Istanbul mayor was arrested on Wednesday. His planned candidacy had already been confirmed. However, İmamoğlu will not be an official candidate until the Turkish electoral authority YSK, which is considered pro-government, confirms his candidacy. However, if the terror investigations have not been dropped by then, his candidacy is unlikely to be accepted. Furthermore, İmamoğlu's university degree was revoked on Tuesday. The decision is not yet final. A degree is a prerequisite for a presidential candidacy in Turkey. İmamoğlu denies allegations in initial questioning Imamoğlu himself testified before the public prosecutor's office until late into the night, as several media outlets reported. He was subsequently scheduled to appear before a judge to testify. Whether the hearing with the judge will result in an order for pretrial detention remains uncertain. Previously, İmamoğlu was questioned about the allegations for several hours at a police station on Saturday. "The immoral and baseless accusations made against me, ranging from fabricated reports to the timing of the investigation, are aimed at undermining my reputation and credibility," İmamoğlu subsequently announced through the municipality. Protests against the government continue Tens of thousands of people took to the streets nationwide on Saturday to protest İmamoğlu's arrest. In Istanbul and Ankara, police used pepper spray against demonstrators. The Turkish media regulator RTÜK, meanwhile, threatened the country's media with fines and license revocation in the event of "untruthful reporting." "We once again call on the media not to rely on biased and untruthful reporting, but to publish only official information and statements from the relevant authorities," the head of the agency, Ebubekir Sahin, wrote on the X platform. Otherwise, measures will be taken "that range up to and including long-term broadcasting bans and ultimately even license revocation." He issued "a final warning." According to reports, some broadcasters stopped their live coverage of demonstrations in the country. Ilhan Tasci, a member of the opposition media watchdog, wrote on Platform X that Sahin had suspended press freedom in the country. Protest bans tightened in Istanbul Protests themselves are banned in several cities. The Istanbul governor's office recently tightened and extended the protest bans. Access restrictions now also apply to the city, according to a statement from the office. People who want to participate in demonstrations, for example, will no longer be allowed into the city. How this will be implemented was initially unclear. In addition to demonstrations and gatherings, the hanging of posters, distribution of flyers, signature collections, and memorial events will also be prohibited. According to the statement, all measures are initially in effect until midnight on Wednesday.