Thousands of supporters of the suspended Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu, gathered at the city's Sarachane Square on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of his detention. They were protesting against his arrest and detention over charges including espionage and corruption in March 2025.
Supporters of Imamoğlu also gathered at the Marmara High-Security Prison in the Silivri district of Istanbul, where he has been held after he was officially relieved of his duties on March 23, 2025.
The trial of Imamoğlu and about 400 people is underway as prosecutors seek a jail term of more than 2,000 years over 140 alleged charges, including corruption and running a criminal organisation.
Protesters at the Silivri prison on Wednesday told the press that "he is our future presidential candidate,". Another man stated, "I am here for my own future and for democracy."
A delegation of European mayors also travelled to Istanbul in solidarity with Imamoğlu.
Eiril Lae Solberg, the governing mayor of Oslo, told the Dutch news agency DW that "he is clearly jailed because the government in Türkiye sees him as a dangerous challenger."
"He had a very good chance of winning the elections; therefore, they imprisoned him." he added.
The president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, insists the judiciary is independent and said the investigations into Imamoğlu are routine.
According to Erdoğan, "the investigation in Istanbul concerns a criminal organisation unprecedented in the history of the republic. Its action threatens national security by revealing organised corruption and extortion."
This message from Erdoğan resonates with his supporters, and they asked that the judiciary be allowed to make the decision.
One potential obstacle to Imamoğlu running in the next presidential election is an announcement from Istanbul University announcing it had revoked Imamoğlu's degree due to alleged irregularities.
Imamoğlu's lawyers said they would appeal the decision since the Turkish law states presidents must have completed higher education to hold office.
Ekrem Imamoğlu, born in 1970, became actively involved in politics in 2008 when he joined the Republican People's Party (CHP).
He was elected Mayor of Beylikdüzü, west of Istanbul, in 2014, garnering 50.8% of the vote.
He was elected into office as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on 31 March and again on 23 June, 2019.
He got married in 1995, and has three children.
He is a self-proclaimed ardent lover of sports and has served as the manager of managers at Trabzonspor Football Club, Trabzonspor Basketball Club, and Beylikdüzüspor Club.
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French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
European carmakers have urged the European Union to make sure new “Made in EU” rules do not put existing investments in Türkiye and Morocco at risk.
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Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks in Ankara on Tuesday with several senior European Union officials as diplomatic engagement between Türkiye and the bloc continues ahead of next week's NATO summit.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its annual party conference, where delegates voted to keep Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Georgia’s only oil refinery will stop using Russian crude oil by September to preserve access to Western markets, its operator has said.
Iran has begun talks with Japan about selling oil to Japanese companies, according to Iranian and Western sources. The discussions come less than a month after the U.S. eased decades-old sanctions on Iranian oil as part of efforts to secure a final peace deal with Tehran.
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