Could Istanbul's arrested mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu become Turkey's next president?

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday during a raid connected his location arsenic portion of investigations into alleged corruption and links to a violent group.

By Sunday, helium had been formally arrested and sent to Marmara Prison aft being arrested astatine the prosecutor's request.

The petition for apprehension arsenic portion of the coercion probe was rejected, arsenic an apprehension warrant had already been issued connected corruption charges, İmamoğlu's lawyer Fikret İlkiz told Euronews Turkish.

Meanwhile, connected the greeting of İmamoğlu's arrest, his Republican People's Party (CHP) held a superior predetermination to find its campaigner for the 2028 statesmanlike elections.

Imamoğlu, who entered the superior arsenic the lone candidate, was chosen arsenic the centre-left CHP's statesmanlike candidate.

In a determination taken successful February, lone CHP members could ballot successful the party's superior election, but aft İmamoğlu was archetypal detained connected Wednesday, the enactment announced that each citizens could enactment successful the ballot "for solidarity purposes."

As a effect of this vote, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel announced that 1.6 cardinal enactment members went to the polls and İmamoğlu received a full of astir 15 cardinal votes unneurotic with the "solidarity" ballots cast.

Is his apprehension an obstacle to the presidency?

Despite his arrest, determination is presently nary obstacle for İmamoğlu to go a statesmanlike campaigner and beryllium elected.

According to the constitution, successful bid to go a statesmanlike campaigner and beryllium elected, 1 indispensable beryllium a assemblage graduate, not person been convicted of immoderate offence and beryllium implicit 40 years of age.

Imamoğlu's apprehension does not represent an obstacle to his candidacy and predetermination arsenic president, due to the fact that according to the instrumentality determination has been nary finalised judicial ruling.

İlkiz told Euronews that Imamoğlu and his ineligible squad expect an indictment to beryllium prepared and a suit to beryllium filed arsenic portion of the investigations against him, but they cannot foretell however agelong it volition take.

Imamoğlu volition not beryllium capable to tally for bureau if helium is convicted of immoderate charges against him and a governmental prohibition is imposed.

Although İmamoğlu participated arsenic a campaigner successful the superior predetermination and was elected arsenic a candidate, this does not transportation the presumption of authoritative candidacy.

For authoritative candidacy, aft the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) announces the predetermination calendar, the CHP Assembly radical indispensable nominate İmamoğlu arsenic a candidate.

At the extremity of this process, İmamoğlu tin officially go the CHP's statesmanlike candidate, provided that helium fulfils the conditions required for candidacy and has not been convicted of a transgression offence connected the day of nomination.

Will revoking his assemblage diploma forestall his candidacy?

İmamoğlu, who graduated from Istanbul University's Business Administration department, applied to partake successful the CHP's primaries connected 21 February.

According to the constitution, to go a statesmanlike campaigner and beryllium elected, 1 indispensable person a assemblage degree.

Last Tuesday, Istanbul University decided to cancel the diplomas of 28 graduates, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, connected the grounds of "absence" and "an evident error".

However, Istanbul University's diploma cancellation determination does not forestall İmamoğlu from becoming a statesmanlike candidate.

İmamoğlu has already appealed to the Administrative Court against the university's decision. If the Administrative Court decides to cancel the diploma, İmamoğlu tin besides entreaty this decision.

However, if his diploma is definitively revoked astatine the extremity of this process pursuing the appeal, İmamoğlu whitethorn suffer his qualification to beryllium a statesmanlike candidate.

Imamoğlu's ineligible squad announced that an exertion volition beryllium made to the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) against the diploma cancellation for usurpation of rights.

If elections instrumentality spot portion the ineligible process is taking spot and İmamoğlu besides applies, the YSK volition yet marque the last determination connected campaigner qualification.

The communicative of the diploma issue

There were allegations of "irregularities" regarding İmamoğlu's transportation from the Girne American University (GAU) Business Administration section successful bluish Cyprus, wherever helium studied betwixt 1988 and 1990, to the aforesaid section astatine Istanbul University successful 1990.

Upon the petition of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding these allegations, the Higher Education Council (YÖK) Supervisory Board prepared an probe study connected Istanbul University's rectorate and İmamoğlu.

In the report, it was stated that İmamoğlu met the indispensable conditions arsenic of the play helium transferred.

However, arsenic a effect of the evaluations, it was recovered that the transportation acceptance procedures carried retired by Istanbul University were not carried retired successful accordance with YÖK decisions and procedures.

Prof. Dr. Adem Sözüer, a transgression lawyer from İmamoğlu's ineligible team, stated that İmamoğlu was admitted to Istanbul University successful September 1990 by fulfilling the conditions announced by the assemblage for transfer.

In November 1991, 14 months aft İmamoğlu's transfer, the Council of Higher Education decided that Girne American University could not beryllium recognised.

This led to İmamoğlu's grade being withdrawn connected Tuesday.

Imamoğlu's apprehension and protests

In the connection made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, "the fishy Ekrem İmamoğlu was charged with establishing and starring a transgression organisation, taking bribes (and) extortion."

Following the completion of İmamoğlu's connection procedures astatine Çağlayan Courthouse successful the aboriginal hours of the morning, 91 suspects were referred to the tribunal with the petition for arrest, portion the archetypal apprehension decisions were announced successful the aboriginal hours of the morning.

The transgression tribunal of bid connected work ruled for the apprehension of 18 much radical wrong the scope of the investigation, including İmamoğlu's advisors, Dr Buğra Gökçe, President of Istanbul Planning Agency (İPA) and Tuncay Yılmaz, General Manager of İmamoğlu Construction.

Meanwhile, the protests that started successful Istanbul aft İmamoğlu was detained connected Wednesday person since dispersed crossed the country. On the aforesaid time arsenic his detention, the Istanbul Governorate issued a four-day protestation ban.

Apart from Istanbul, the biggest protests were organised successful Izmir and successful the superior Ankara. However, successful these 2 cities, the governorships besides issued a ban.

Following this ban, entree to societal media was blocked.