Istanbul mayor Imamoglu suspended, arrested on corruption charges

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was suspended from office and detained on corruption charges, Türkiye's Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry, in a statement on social media platform X, described Imamoglu's removal as a "temporary measure under the law," citing allegations of unlawful acquisition of personal data for profit, bribery, tender rigging, and establishing a criminal organization. Imamoglu, who denies the accusations, had been held for questioning since Wednesday. 

He was formally arrested after providing a statement in court on Sunday and transferred to Marmara Prison in Istanbul's Silivri district. Imamoglu, from the main opposition Republican People's Party, won a second term as Istanbul mayor in March 2024, defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party candidate, Murat Kurum.