Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key opposition figure and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, has been officially nominated as the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Imamoglu was the sole participant in the party’s selection process, which took place on March 23. However, on the same day, he was arrested and sentenced to prison, triggering widespread protests across Turkey.

Following his detention, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in various cities, marking the largest wave of protests in Turkey since the 2013 Gezi Park demonstrations. The unrest quickly escalated, with security forces deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse crowds. Protesters gathered outside Istanbul’s city hall for the fifth consecutive night, waving Turkish flags and chanting slogans against the government. Riot police formed barriers, and some officers used pepper spray on demonstrators.

Imamoglu was formally arrested on corruption-related charges, including "establishing and managing a criminal organization, taking bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data, and falsifying a tender." He was remanded in custody and transferred to Silivri prison. The Turkish Interior Ministry confirmed his removal from office following his detention.

In response to the charges, Imamoglu denounced the case as politically motivated. "I will never bend," he wrote on X before being detained. Later, in a statement shared through his lawyers, he criticized his arrest as a "black mark on our democracy" and accused the government of failing to ensure due process. He also congratulated the protesters, saying their demonstrations reflected public frustration with Erdogan’s leadership.

His wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, addressed the crowd outside Istanbul’s city hall, stating that the "injustice" her husband faced had "touched every conscience."

Erdogan strongly condemned the protests, accusing the opposition and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) of attempting to "disturb the peace and polarize our people." Meanwhile, opposition leaders and rights groups criticized the government’s response, warning that the crackdown on dissent threatened the country’s democratic institutions.

Rallies in support of Imamoglu were held in at least 55 out of Turkey's 81 provinces, demonstrating widespread discontent with the government’s actions. His arrest was part of a broader crackdown, as over 100 people, including politicians, journalists, and business figures, were detained as part of an investigation launched on March 19.

Imamoglu's political career has been closely watched as he poses one of the most significant challenges to Erdogan's rule. Despite his imprisonment, his nomination for the 2028 presidential election signals the opposition’s determination to contest the country’s leadership.