My people will give the necessary response to the falsifications, conspiracies, traps and lies, as well as to those who violate people's rights and do not respect their will. I submit first to God's will and then to that of our people, said Imamoglu in a message posted on his X social media account, BTA reported.
Imamoglu's message was handwritten, with a photo of what he wrote posted on the social media.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and a number of other high-ranking representatives of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) were detained early this morning after the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office filed charges of "corruption, bribery and collaboration with terrorists" against them.
Imamoglu announced his candidacy for president of Turkey (unofficially) earlier this month in a video clip he shared on his X social media account. He is considered the virtually certain candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), although a formal decision on this is due on March 23.
The regular presidential elections in Turkey are due to be held in May 2028. In recent months, the CHP and other opposition parties have called for early presidential elections, citing the current government's inability to deal with the country's economic problems and high inflation.
In the local elections on March 31, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost a national election for the first time since coming to power in 2002, and the CHP emerged victorious. Erdogan's party also suffered defeats in many of the largest cities, including Istanbul and Ankara.