Istanbul citizens are protesting in front of City Hall against the arrest of Mayor İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025. The greatest political rival of President Erdoğan of Turkey lost both his degree and physical freedom within a day. On March 18, Istanbul University made a shocking decision that sent ripples through Turkish politics by revoking Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s (54) university degree. Under current Turkish law, a university degree is a requirement to run for president, effectively disqualifying him from the presidential race.
The following morning, hundreds of police officers stormed Mayor İmamoğlu’s residence, arresting him on charges of corruption and supporting terrorism.
**■ Istanbul Mayor’s Degree Revoked After Over 30 Years**
Istanbul University announced on the 18th that it had found clear errors in the records of 28 graduates who transferred to the Business Faculty in 1990, thereby canceling their graduation and degree certificates. İmamoğlu’s name was included on this list. İmamoğlu had initially enrolled at the American University of Cyprus (AUC) in 1988 before transferring to Istanbul University in 1990. Originally, the university stated that his enrollment followed the official transfer procedures and posed no issues. However, they reversed their stance after concerns were raised that AUC wasn’t an accredited educational institution by Turkish authorities at the time of his transfer.
The decision to revoke a degree recognized for over 30 years has significant implications due to Turkey’s legal requirement for presidential candidates to hold a university degree. This decision was made just days before Imamoğlu was expected to be selected as the presidential candidate for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
**■ Opposition Presidential Candidate Arrested Unexpectedly**
In a surprising turn of events the following morning, hundreds of police officers raided Mayor İmamoğlu’s home on charges of supporting a terror organization and corruption. Prosecutors accused him of supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated a terrorist organization by the Turkish government. They also alleged that he accepted bribes from businessmen during last year’s local elections, investigating about 100 suspects, including İmamoğlu.
During a social media livestream of the police raid, İmamoğlu stated, “Hundreds of police officers have arrived at my house. They’re searching our home after knocking on the door.” Despite facing what he called a “great tyranny,” he declared, “I will never give up, and I will stand firm without succumbing to pressure.”
The CHP, the major opposition party, condemned the actions as a “coup targeting a future president,” with party leader Özgür Özel stating, “The only crime İmamoğlu committed was leading in the polls.”
While in detention, İmamoğlu issued a message through his lawyer, urging strong resistance and stating, “We must stand up and act against those distorting justice.” He initially had a high likelihood of being nominated in the CHP’s presidential primary scheduled for the 23rd.
**■ Landslide Victory Against Erdogan’s Ally in Istanbul Mayor Race**
The political rivalry between İmamoğlu and President Erdoğan began in 2019 when İmamoğlu wrested the Istanbul mayoralty from Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which had held it for 25 years. İstanbul, with its 16 million voters, saw a narrow victory for İmamoğlu by only 13,729 votes against Binali Yıldırım, Erdoğan’s close ally and former Prime Minister. Although AKP alleged electoral misconduct and nullified the results, the rerun election two months later saw İmamoğlu win decisively by 806,000 votes, achieving political stardom. The New York Times commented on Erdoğan experiencing the greatest defeat of his political career with consecutive losses in the Istanbul mayoral election.
İstanbul is more than just a city as it hosted Erdoğan’s political rise as mayor in 1994 and contributes over 30% of Turkey’s GDP. Both İmamoğlu and Erdoğan have risen to prominence through İstanbul, but their political paths diverge significantly. İmamoğlu advocates for secularism and inclusivity of Kurds and other religious groups, contrary to Erdoğan’s Islamic conservatism and suspicion towards the same groups. In the previous year’s mayoral election, İmamoğlu triumphed over AKP’s candidate by a 10-point margin, emerging as a prominent presidential candidate for CHP. Polls suggested he posed substantial competition to Erdoğan in a presidential faceoff.
In major cities like Istanbul and Ankara, universities and public squares have become the epicenters of protests following the news of the leading opposition candidate’s arrest. Despite the Turkish government banning gatherings and blocking social media platforms like YouTube for four days, the protests continued unabated starting March 19.
**■ “Erdoğan Attempts to Neutralize Strong Opponent”**
Many analysts view these actions surrounding İmamoğlu as Erdoğan’s attempt to neutralize a significant opponent. Soner Çağaptay, the director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, interpreted the move as an attempt to nip a major threat in the bud, identifying İmamoğlu as embodying the same political brand as Erdoğan. Some suspect that these suppression tactics are part of a careful strategy to extend Erdoğan’s presidency. The Turkish government’s practice of applying PKK-related charges on political opponents has drawn criticism from international human rights organizations. In response to the ongoing situation, both the EU and the US expressed serious concern. EU Commission President Von der Leyen emphasized that Turkey should uphold democratic values, particularly the rights of elected officials.
**■ President Erdoğan Claims Arrest was Lawful**
President Erdoğan dismissed claims of political motives, affirming that İmamoğlu’s arrest complied with legal procedures. He also criticized the opposition for inflating internal conflicts and legal matters to national concerns. Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç emphasized that the judiciary operates independently and does not bow to orders. While he recognized the right to protest as fundamental, he maintained a firm stance that making demands on an ongoing legal case is illegal and unacceptable. According to the constitution, Erdoğan cannot run for another presidential term, but there are claims suggesting that he may seek a constitutional amendment to allow a third term candidacy.