FLASH
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Terror continues against the mayor of Istanbul, hundreds of police surround the court...
Four days after his arrest, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was taken to court this evening, where he will be heard by judges who will decide whether to confirm his detention or release him.
The Istanbul mayor arrived at the Caglayan Palace of Justice in a convoy of 14 minibuses carrying 90 detainees as part of a corruption and bribery investigation. " The immoral and baseless accusations leveled against me, starting from fabricated reports to the time of the investigation, aim to undermine my reputation and credibility ," Imamoglu said.
Yesterday, local media reported that police questioned Imamoglu for about five hours, during which he denied the allegations.
A team of 34 prosecutors has been assigned to the hearing. Since yesterday, the Caglayan Palace of Justice has been the subject of massive security measures by the Turkish police. Today, the day of the hearing, in addition to police teams in special clothing, water cannons were deployed in a protective formation around the building.
Police have also set up a cordon to block the entrance to the seventh floor of the building, where the hearing is scheduled for 9 p.m. local time. Along with Imamoglu, the mayors of Sisli, Resul Emrah Sahan and Beylikduzu Mehmet Calik, and other municipal leaders, all affiliated with the AKP party, will also be heard today.
Meanwhile, the Turkish opposition has called for more demonstrations tonight in support of the Istanbul mayor, as has been the case since his arrest on Wednesday on charges of "corruption" and "terrorism." Tens of thousands of people have already gathered in the square.
The Istanbul prefecture has declared that “individuals, groups and vehicles that may participate in illegal activities, individually or collectively, will not be allowed to enter or exit our city.” In a statement published on its website, the prefecture also banned political demonstrations until March 27, extending a ban imposed on Wednesday.
The mayor of Istanbul has called on voters of the Republican People's Party (CHP, the main opposition political force in Turkey) to vote for him as their presidential candidate in the 2028 elections. The CHP is actually organizing primaries tomorrow, Sunday, March 23, to choose its candidate for the upcoming presidential election.
In a message published on X, Imamoglu, currently in detention, invited "all party comrades to the polls", adding that "sovereignty belongs to the nation unconditionally and without restrictions". According to the Istanbul mayor, it is necessary to "protect the republic, democracy, the future of a just Turkey". The day will come when the country "will have all rights guaranteed, democracy will reach the highest level and the rule of law will be fully respected".
Ekrem Imamoglu is considered "Recep Tayyip Erdogan's number one enemy", the only one who managed to defeat AKP candidates three times, humiliating the Turkish president in his beloved Istanbul, the city where he grew up.
Turkish President Erdogan also accused the main opposition CHP party of creating "chaos" in Turkey after protests over Imamoglu's arrest and in the wake of new demonstrations. "Starting from Istanbul, they tried to create chaos and tension in our cities," Erdogan said during an event in the Bosphorus city, broadcast by state television TRT. "They attacked our police forces and tried to threaten members of our judiciary," he added, referring to clashes between protesters and police forces that took place in various cities. /Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Corriere Della Sera"
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