^{Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Photo}

Turkish police have arrested the Mayor of Istanbul as part of investigations into alleged corruption and ties to terrorism, Al Jazeera reports on March 19th.

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Ekrem Imamoglu, a major opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is reportedly facing a detention warrant issued by prosecutors along with approximately 100 others, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Imamoglu posted a video stating:

We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged”,  accusing the government of “usurping the will” of the people.

Following his arrest, authorities closed roads around Istanbul to prevent protests, but crowds gathered outside the police station where he was held, chanting anti-government slogans.

Local media reported that students at Istanbul University broke through police barricades during a demonstration on Wednesday, prompting police to fire tear gas.

Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019, delivering a historic defeat to Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which had ruled Istanbul for 25 years.

Although the AK Party sought to annul the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, a repeat election held months later resulted in another victory for Imamoglu.

Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency