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Turkey arrests 37 people over online posts about Istanbul mayor

Politiko 2025-03-20 10:53:13

Turkey arrests 37 people over online posts about Istanbul mayor

Turkish authorities have detained 37 people over “provocative” social media posts about the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Turkish government said on Thursday. Imamoglu, a key political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of corruption and supporting a terrorist group. The main opposition party has called his arrest “an attempted coup against our future president.”

Thousands of people took to the streets and university campuses in various cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, to protest with slogans against the government, despite authorities banning protests for four days immediately after Imamoglu's arrest.

Turkish authorities identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 abroad, with "provocative posts inciting crime and hatred" after the arrest of Imamoglu and 105 other people and are continuing efforts to track down the remaining suspects, Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

The minister added that 18.6 million posts about Imamoglu were shared on X within 24 hours of his detention. Imamoglu, 54, is leading Erdogan in some opinion polls in Turkey. In addition to banning protests, authorities closed some roads and restricted access to some social media.

"They hastily arrested our mayor, whom we elected with our votes," said Ali Izar, an opposition supporter, as he headed to work in central Istanbul.

"I don't think this is a democratic practice and I condemn it ," he said.

Turkey also seized a construction company co-owned by Imamoglu, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said. Authorities also seized a company owned by Imamoglu, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said. The prosecutor's office said control of the company, "Imamoglu Construction, Trade and Industry," was taken over by the court based on reports of financial crimes investigations. Most of the 105 people arrested along with Imamoglu are Istanbul municipality staff.

"The people will give their answer again ," said another Imamoglu supporter, Yusuf Demirci, 34, in Istanbul./ REL

 

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