ISTANBUL (Realist English). Former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, has declared that his imprisonment will not prevent him from seeking Turkey’s presidency, even if the campaign must be conducted from a high-security prison outside the city.
In written responses to POLITICO conveyed through his lawyers, Imamoglu rejected the legitimacy of the charges against him, calling the case a “strategy of political containment” rather than a genuine legal process. He said the aim was not only to influence the next election, scheduled for 2028, but to remove him permanently from political life.
Imamoglu was arrested in March and transferred to Silivri prison, triggering nationwide protests and international criticism. Opposition parties and rights groups argue the case is politically motivated, intended to sideline Erdogan’s most effective secular challenger following the opposition’s strong performance in the 2024 local elections.
The 55-year-old faces multiple charges, including corruption, bribery, money laundering and espionage, carrying a combined potential sentence of more than 2,300 years. He denies all accusations. Despite his detention, more than 15 million people participated in a symbolic primary organized by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to endorse his candidacy.
Imamoglu said the scale of the case — hundreds of inspections yielding no findings and a lengthy indictment based largely on disputed testimony — underscored its weakness. He maintains that in a free and fair election he could defeat Erdogan, a belief he says explains the effort to block his candidacy.
Legal uncertainty continues to surround his political future. Authorities have opened a separate investigation into the validity of his university diploma, a constitutional requirement for presidential candidates, and Istanbul University annulled the degree shortly before his arrest.
Analysts note that Turkey’s judiciary lacks independence, making it unlikely Imamoglu will be allowed to challenge Erdogan directly. Still, he continues to communicate with supporters online, despite restrictions on his social media accounts.
In the interview, Imamoglu also criticized Erdogan’s foreign policy, including Ankara’s close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, arguing that security-driven diplomacy abroad has gone hand in hand with democratic erosion at home. He said that, if elected, rebuilding relations with Europe and advancing democratic reforms would be among his top priorities.
From prison, Imamoglu says he maintains a strict routine and views his situation as part of a broader struggle for democratic norms in Turkey. “Detention must not become an instrument of politics,” he said, adding that what ultimately matters is “the will of the people beyond the walls.”
