Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained in the early hours of Wednesday during a raid on his home as part of investigations into alleged corruption and links to a terrorist group.
By Sunday, he had been formally arrested and sent to Marmara Prison after being arrested at the prosecutor’s request.
The request for arrest as part of the terrorism investigation was rejected, as an arrest warrant had already been issued on corruption charges, İmamoğlu’s lawyer Fikret İlkiz told Euronews Turkish.
Meanwhile, on the morning of İmamoğlu’s arrest, his Republican People’s Party (CHP) held a primary election to determine its candidate for the 2028 presidential elections.
Imamoğlu, who entered the primary as the only candidate, was chosen as the centre-left CHP’s presidential candidate.
In a decision taken in February, only CHP members could vote in the party’s primary election, but after İmamoğlu was first detained on Wednesday, the party announced that all citizens could participate in the vote “for solidarity purposes.”
As a result of this vote, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel announced that 1.6 million party members went to the polls and İmamoğlu received a total of around 15 million votes together with the “solidarity” ballots cast.
People cast their ballots in a CHP polling station during a symbolic election to show solidarity with Istanbul’s mayor, 23 March, 2025 – AP Photo
Is his arrest an obstacle to the presidency?
Despite his arrest, there is currently no obstacle for İmamoğlu to become a presidential candidate and be elected.
According to the constitution, in order to become a presidential candidate and be elected, one must be a university graduate, not have been convicted of any offence and be over 40 years of age.
Imamoğlu’s arrest does not constitute an obstacle to his candidacy and election as president, because according to the law there has been no finalised judicial ruling.
İlkiz told Euronews that Imamoğlu and his legal team expect an indictment to be prepared and a lawsuit to be filed as part of the investigations against him, but they cannot predict how long it will take.
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Imamoğlu will not be able to run for office if he is convicted of any charges against him and a political ban is imposed.
Although İmamoğlu participated as a candidate in the primary election and was elected as a candidate, this does not carry the status of official candidacy.
For official candidacy, after the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) announces the election calendar, the CHP Assembly group must nominate İmamoğlu as a candidate.
At the end of this process, İmamoğlu can officially become the CHP’s presidential candidate, provided that he fulfils the conditions required for candidacy and has not been convicted of a criminal offence on the date of nomination.
University students sit next to riot police officers in Istanbul following Ekrem İmamoğlu’s arrest, 24 March, 2025 – AP Photo
Will revoking his university diploma prevent his candidacy?
İmamoğlu, who graduated from Istanbul University’s Business Administration department, applied to partake in the CHP’s primaries on 21 February.
According to the constitution, to become a presidential candidate and be elected, one must have a university degree.
Last Tuesday, Istanbul University decided to cancel the diplomas of 28 graduates, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, on the grounds of “absence” and “an apparent error”.
However, Istanbul University’s diploma cancellation decision does not prevent İmamoğlu from becoming a presidential candidate.
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İmamoğlu has already appealed to the Administrative Court against the university’s decision. If the Administrative Court decides to cancel the diploma, İmamoğlu can also appeal this decision.
However, if his diploma is definitively revoked at the end of this process following the appeal, İmamoğlu may lose his qualification to be a presidential candidate.
Imamoğlu’s legal team announced that an application will be made to the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) against the diploma cancellation for violation of rights.
If elections take place while the legal process is taking place and İmamoğlu also applies, the YSK will ultimately make the final decision on candidate qualification.
Riot police use pepper spray to clear a protester during a protest after Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested and sent to prison, 23 March, 2025 – AP Photo
The story of the diploma issue
There were allegations of “irregularities” regarding İmamoğlu’s transfer from the Girne American University (GAU) Business Administration department in northern Cyprus, where he studied between 1988 and 1990, to the same department at Istanbul University in 1990.
Upon the request of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding these allegations, the Higher Education Council (YÖK) Supervisory Board prepared an investigation report on Istanbul University’s rectorate and İmamoğlu.
In the report, it was stated that İmamoğlu met the necessary conditions as of the period he transferred.
However, as a result of the evaluations, it was found that the transfer acceptance procedures carried out by Istanbul University were not carried out in accordance with YÖK decisions and procedures.
Prof. Dr. Adem Sözüer, a criminal lawyer from İmamoğlu’s legal team, stated that İmamoğlu was admitted to Istanbul University in September 1990 by fulfilling the conditions announced by the university for transfer.
In November 1991, 14 months after İmamoğlu’s transfer, the Council of Higher Education decided that Girne American University could not be recognised.
This led to İmamoğlu’s degree being withdrawn on Tuesday.
University students shout slogans during a protest after Istanbul’s Mayor was sent to prison. The sign reads ‘We bow neither to pressure nor to lawlessness’, 24 March, 2025 – AP Photo
Imamoğlu’s arrest and protests
In the statement made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, “the suspect Ekrem İmamoğlu was charged with establishing and leading a criminal organisation, taking bribes (and) extortion.”
Following the completion of İmamoğlu’s statement procedures at Çağlayan Courthouse in the early hours of the morning, 91 suspects were referred to the court with the request for arrest, while the first arrest decisions were announced in the early hours of the morning.
The criminal court of peace on duty ruled for the arrest of 18 more people within the scope of the investigation, including İmamoğlu’s advisors, Dr Buğra Gökçe, President of Istanbul Planning Agency (İPA) and Tuncay Yılmaz, General Manager of İmamoğlu Construction.
Meanwhile, the protests that started in Istanbul after İmamoğlu was detained on Wednesday have since spread across the country. On the same day as his detention, the Istanbul Governorate issued a four-day protest ban.
Apart from Istanbul, the biggest protests were organised in Izmir and in the capital Ankara. However, in these two cities, the governorships also issued a ban.
Following this ban, access to social media was blocked.
