Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu suspended after arrest on corruption charges

On March 23, Türkiye's Ministry of the Interior announced the suspension of İmamoğlu's powers as mayor of Istanbul due to his arrest.

The official had been in custody since Wednesday when he was detained on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist organization. On Sunday, the court ordered his arrest in connection with the corruption charges. His lawyers intend to file an appeal.

At the same time, the court rejected the request to arrest İmamoğlu on charges of supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). According to media reports, this decision could significantly impact the process of selecting İmamoğlu's replacement should he remain in custody. An arrest on terrorism charges typically leads to the appointment of a government trust to manage the municipality. In the case of an arrest on other charges, the replacement is usually selected from the municipal council and the same political party through an internal vote.

Meanwhile, some Turkish experts believe that even the existence of an investigation with suspicions of ties to terrorism, even without an arrest, could provide Ankara with grounds to appoint a trusted individual.

Along with İmamoğlu, the Istanbul court arrested his close aide, Murat Ongun, and Tuncay Yılmaz, the director of the İmamoğlu family's construction company. A total of 22 suspects, detained earlier this week, were arrested. Several others were released under judicial control, with the requirement to regularly check in with law enforcement and a travel ban.

For more details on why Erdoğan's opponent was detained in Türkiye and how the world is reacting, read RBC-Ukraine's report.