İbrahim Özkan, a political advisor to jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, was taken into custody Friday as part of a widening crackdown targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkish media reported.
Özkan was escorted to a courthouse for questioning shortly after being detained by police on orders from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities have not disclosed the specific allegations against him.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel responded to the detention, describing it as part of a politically motivated campaign against İmamoğlu and his circle.
“This is a highly political operation, built on an attempt to discredit Ekrem İmamoğlu,” Özel told reporters. “It’s no surprise that after attacks on his family and aides, his advisors are now being targeted.”
The CHP leader argued that İmamoğlu’s electoral success, including victories in four local races despite strong government opposition, has made him a political target. “There is now one figure in Turkish politics considered unbeatable — and that is Ekrem İmamoğlu,” he said.
İmamoğlu, a senior member of CHP, was detained on March 19 and arrested days later on corruption charges criticized as being politically motivated. His arrest, widely seen as targeting the biggest political rival to longtime President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election, sparked Turkey’s worst protests in the last decade.
İmamoğlu won İstanbul’s mayoral race in 2019 and defeated Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) again after the results of the first election were cancelled on the grounds of irregularities. He was named his party’s presidential candidate in March for the next general election scheduled for 2028. But his political future has been clouded by court cases and legal rulings that could bar him from politics and that his party and supporters say are designed to sideline him.
More than 500 people linked to the CHP or the İstanbul Municipality have been detained or arrested since last year’s local elections when the CHP emerged as the most successful party and the AKP suffered its worst election defeat.
