Turkey detains 37 over 'provocative' social media posts following arrest
of Istanbul mayor
[March 20, 2025]
By MEHMET GUZEL and SUZAN FRASER
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish authorities detained 37 people for sharing
“provocative” content on social media, the interior minister said
Thursday, pressing ahead with a crackdown on dissenting voices that
escalated with the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, a potential
challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested after a dawn raid on his residence on
Wednesday as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror
links. Several other prominent figures, including two district mayors,
were also detained.
The detention of a popular opposition leader and key Erdogan rival
deepened concerns over democracy and sparked protests in Istanbul and
elsewhere, despite a four-day ban on demonstrations in the city and road
closures. Several people were detained following a student protest in
the capital, Ankara, that continued into the night.
It also caused a shockwave in the financial market, triggering temporary
halts in trading to prevent panic selling.
Critics see the crackdown as an effort by Erdogan to extend his more
then two-decade rule following significant losses by the ruling party in
local elections last year. Government officials reject claims that legal
actions against opposition figures are politically motivated and insist
that the courts operate independently.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said authorities identified 261 social
media accounts that shared provocative posts inciting public hatred or
crime, including 62 that are run by people based abroad. At least 37 of
the suspected owners were detained in a operation police and cyber crime
teams, he wrote on the X social media platform. Efforts to detain other
suspects were continuing, he said.
Imamoglu's arrest came just days before he was expected to be nominated
as the opposition Republican People’s Party's presidential candidate in
a primary scheduled for Sunday. The party’s leader has said the primary
will go ahead as planned.
Prosecutors accused Imamoglu of exploiting his position for financial
gain, including the improper allocation of government contracts.
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People raise their mobile phones as they gather outside the City
Hall to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in
Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco
Seco)
In a separate investigation, prosecutors also accuse Imamoglu of
aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, by allegedly
forming an alliance with a Kurdish umbrella organization for the
Istanbul municipal elections. The PKK, behind a decades-long
insurgency in Turkey, is designated a terrorist organization by
Ankara, Washington and other allies.
It was not clear when authorities would begin questioning the mayor,
who can be detained without charges for up to four days. Analysts
say Imamoglu could be removed from office and replaced by a “trustee
mayor” if he is formally charged with links to the PKK.
Before his detention, Imamoglu already faced multiple criminal cases
that could result in prison sentences and a political ban. He is
also appealing a 2022 conviction for insulting members of Turkey’s
Supreme Electoral Council, a case that could result in a political
ban.
This week, a university nullified his diploma, citing alleged
irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in
northern Cyprus to its business faculty, a decision Imamoglu said he
would challenge. The decision effectively bars him from running for
president, since the position requires candidates to be university
graduates.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019, a
historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development
Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century.
Erdogan's party pushed to void the municipal election results in the
city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months
later, which Imamoglu also won. The mayor retained his seat
following local elections last year, during which his party made
significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party.
___
Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.
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