Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, who has a long history of silencing his opponents, seems to have done it again on Wednesday with the arrest of a popular opposition leader.
Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul¡¯s mayor, Ekrem ?mamo?lu, a key rival of Erdo?an, as part of what the authorities claim is a probe into alleged corruption and terror links.
?mamo?lu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People¡¯s Party (CHP), is widely seen as the biggest challenger Erdo?an has faced in his political career.
The 53-year-old, who came to prominence by becoming the Mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and retaining the position in the local body elections in March 2024, ended Erdo?an¡¯s Justice and Development Party's (AKP) control of the city after a quarter of a century.
The local body election results were also the worst electoral performance of Erdo?an's AKP, as the party lost control of not just Istanbul and Ankara, but other key Turkish cities as well.
The unexpected election results, which came less than a year after Erdo?an was re-elected as the Turkish President for a third term, had raised some serious questions about the AKP's grip on power.
Many, including ?mamo?lu, had called for the next presidential elections, scheduled for 2028, to be brought forward. ?mamo?lu was expected to be named as the CHP's presidential candidate on Sunday when the party was to hold a primary.
However, Turkish authorities have been doing everything they can to avoid an ?mamo?lu-Erdo?an faceoff on the ballot.
This includes multiple lawsuits, such as allegations of trying to influence a judicial expert investigating opposition-led municipalities. The cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban.
?mamo?lu was also convicted in 2022 for insulting members of Turkey¡¯s Supreme Electoral Council, a case that could result in a political ban.
On Tuesday, a university in Istanbul invalidated ?mamo?lu's diploma, effectively disqualifying him from the next presidential election. Having a university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.
In nullifying ?mamo?lu¡¯s diploma, Istanbul University cited alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its Faculty of Business Administration.
¡°We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged,¡± ?mamo?lu said earlier in the day in a video message posted on social media.
¡°The will of the people cannot be silenced through intimidation or unlawful acts. I stand resolute, entrusting myself not only to the 16 million residents of Istanbul but to the 86 million citizens of (Turkey),¡± he said in another post.
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