The Ministry of Interior dismissed Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık; dismissed Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan and appointed Şişli District Governor Cevdet Ertürkmen as trustee.

3 mayors sent to prison

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and CHP presidential candidate, was arrested and sent to prison on charges of 'corruption'.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has sent a letter to the Istanbul Governor's Office regarding the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), Resul Emrah Şahan, Mayor of Şişli Municipality and Mehmet Murat Çalık, Mayor of Beylikdüzü Municipality by theCourt in the framework of the 'corruption' and 'terrorism' investigation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).

In the letter sent by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to the Istanbul Governor's Office, it was stated that IBB Mayor İmamoğlu was arrested by the Court, to which he was referred on the grounds of strong suspicion of a crime, on the charges of "establishing an organisation for the purpose of committing a crime", "illegally recording personal data", "accepting bribes" and "rigging tenders of public institutions and organisations".

The letter stated that the same judge had decided to reject İmamoğlu's request on the charge of 'aiding an armed terrorist organisation' on the grounds that there was no need for an arrest measure at this stage.

It was pointed out that the mayor of Şişli, Emrah Şahan, was arrested on the charge of "aiding an armed terrorist organisation" on the basis of strong suspicion and that the mayor of Beylikdüzü, Çalık, was arrested on the basis of strong suspicion by the Court, to which he was referred on the charges of "membership in an organisation formed to commit a crime" and "extortion".

What happened?

Imamoğlu, who was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday 19 March at his home in Istanbul, gave his statement to the prosecutor at the Istanbul Çağlayan Court on Saturday 22 March after four days in custody. Imamoğlu, who has been questioned by the police and the prosecutor's office in two separate investigations, denied all the accusations and described the operation as a political conspiracy, saying: "A trial that will go down as a black mark in history has taken place. I will not submit to this judicial harassment.

As a result of the two operations, arrest warrants were issued for 106 people, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, and a total of 92 people were detained. (EVRENSEL DAILY)