Dozens arrested as investigation that saw Istanbul’s mayor jailed deepens

The March 19 detention of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu saw hundreds of thousands of people flood the streets of Turkish cities to protest.

People gather to protest outside Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul during the hearing of dozens of people accused of attending banned demonstrations after the arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — People gather to protest outside Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul during the hearing of dozens of people accused of attending banned demonstrations after the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (Khalil Hamra/AP)

Police in Istanbul have detained 47 people in dawn raids linked to a corruption investigation that saw the city’s mayor imprisoned last month, leading to Turkey’s largest protests in more than a decade.

Among those arrested in Istanbul, the neighbouring province of Tekirdag and the capital Ankara were senior officials from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, local media reported.

The March 19 detention of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule, saw hundreds of thousands of people flood the streets of Turkish cities to protest against what many consider a politically motivated case.

A woman shouts slogans during a protest outside Caglayan courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey during the hearing of dozens of people accused of attending banned demonstrations after the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — A woman shouts during a protest outside Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul during the hearing of dozens of people accused of attending banned demonstrations after the arrest of mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (Khalil Hamra/AP)

The government insists Turkey’s judicial system is independent.

In a statement, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said simultaneous operations were conducted against 53 suspects, six of whom remain at large.

Searches were continuing at homes and workplaces, it added.

Demonstrations against Mr Imamoglu’s jailing and wider democratic backsliding saw more than 2,000 people arrested for taking part in banned protests last month.

Many of them were students but journalists and trades unionists were also among the detainees.

Mr Imamoglu, who also faces terror-related charges in a parallel investigation launched last month, was nominated as the presidential candidate for his Republican People’s Party (CHP) while in prison.

Elections are due in 2028 but could come earlier.

The cases against him, which include several others that pre-date the March investigations, could see him banned from politics.

Turkish gendarmerie block the way as supporters gather outside Silivri prison, where a hearing is taking place for Istanbul jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in one of multiple cases against him, west of Istanbul, Turkey — Turkish gendarmerie block the way as supporters gather outside Silivri prison, where a hearing took place for jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, west of Istanbul, Turkey (Francisco Seco/AP)

The CHP-supporting Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that Saturday’s arrests included the deputy secretary general of Istanbul municipality, Mr Imamoglu’s private secretary and the head of the city’s water company.

Gokhan Gunaydin, a senior CHP legislator, said the municipality was being “effectively rendered inoperable” by the arrests.

The wife of Mr Imamoglu’s adviser was also detained on Saturday.

The adviser was among some 100 arrested in March’s wave of arrests and remains in prison.

Demonstrations against what the opposition calls the “March 19 coup” are continuing, although on a smaller scale.

The Ankara governor’s office said on Saturday that 30 people were arrested at a protest the previous evening.

The CHP was due to hold a rally later on Saturday in the Mediterranean city of Mersin.

The party won a swathe of major cities in 2019 local elections, making further gains in last year’s polls.

In Istanbul, Mr Imamoglu’s victory ended 25 years of control for Mr Erdogan’s party and its predecessors.