In Turkey, 37 people have been arrested for ‘provocative messages’ on social media that ‘incite crime and hatred’ after the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The opposition leader was arrested on Wednesday.
Turkish authorities have identified 261 social media accounts, 62 of which are located abroad, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on TV channel. The search for more suspects is ongoing.
Imamoglu was arrested on Wednesday morning in connection with a corruption investigation. Shortly after his arrest, 18.6 million messages were distributed, according to the minister. Imamoglu’s arrest was extended by one day on Thursday.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, Imamoglu is a top figure in a large criminal organisation that is involved in corruption, fraud, extortion and rigging of tenders and construction projects.
On Wednesday, the construction company that Imamoglu co-owns was also seized. That evening, the Public Prosecution Service announced that control of the company had been taken over by a court based on financial crime investigation reports.
Massive crowds have flooded the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, protesting President Erdogan and the arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
PRES. ERDOGAN = NO OPPOSITION = NO PROBLEM.
pic.twitter.com/NI8ELeczhu— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) March 20, 2025
Imamoglu speaks out on social media
Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) claims that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to eliminate his main political rival with a series of trumped-up criminal cases.
Imamoglu appeared to address Erdogan on Thursday in a message on social media, in which he accused the president of corruption and called on members of his ruling party and the judiciary to resist injustice. The trial now concerns our nation, especially your families. The day to speak out has come.’
On Wednesday, thousands of Turks took to the streets to demonstrate against Imamoglu’s arrest. More demonstrations have been announced for the coming days, despite the ban on demonstrations issued by the government.
Senin bir yüzükle çıktığın bu yolda, yurt içinde, yurt dışında hesabını zerresi için bile veremeyeceğin tonla leken varken benim üç nesildir biriktirdiğim varlığıma, işime ve emeğime göz koyuyor; namusumuza, haysiyetimize söz ediyor, evlatlarımın geleceğini gasp ediyorsun. Bütün…
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 20, 2025