‘They can’t be silent,’ says Istanbul mayor to the Turkish judges after his arrest

The mayor, who belongs to the main opposition party, the People’s Republican Party (CHP, social democrat), was emerging as a candidate for the 2028 presidential elections.

In his message, Imamoglu attacked Erdogan, not named him, saying, “With these accusations, you attack all my existence, my hard work, and the effort that my family and I built over three generations.”

“As a nation, we should remain united against this evil,” said Imamoglu, twice elected mayor of Istanbul.

The prison of Imamoglu, described by the opposition as a “coup of state”, generated protests and also weighed in local currency, the Lira, in relation to the dollar.

Despite the prohibition of demonstrations and police isolation in Taksim Square and the area around the city hall, several groups managed to meet with tracks with messages such as “side by side against fascism” and “together against illegality.”