Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has dismissed terrorism charges filed against him, according to a court document reviewed by Reuters on Saturday. His denial follows his detention by Turkish authorities on Wednesday over allegations of corruption and terrorism.
“I see today during my interrogation that I and my colleagues are faced with unimaginable accusations and slanders,” Imamoglu said in his defence at a counter-terrorism police interrogation, the document showed.
Imamoglu is a key opposition figure and potential challenger to longtime President Tayyip Erdogan.
“These slanders will bounce back after hitting the walls in the heart of our nation,” Imamoglu said.
“It is imperative that our country be rid of this mentality as soon as possible, which thinks that it is entitled to do everything to protect (its) seat,” Imamoglu said, in a veiled reference to Erdogan.
Imamoglu is expected to appear in court later on Saturday, when the decision to either release him or jail him pending trial, will be made.
Tens of thousands of Turks have taken to the streets in mostly peaceful demonstrations since Wednesday, when Imamoglu was detained on charges such as graft and aiding a terrorist group. He is President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival who leads him in some opinion polls.
Protests over the mayor’s detention took place in more than a dozen cities including Turkey’s biggest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara, the ministry said in a statement.
It said the detentions were made to prevent “disrupting of public order” and warned that authorities would not tolerate “chaos and provocation.”
The mayor’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), the main opposition, condemned the move as politically motivated and urged supporters to demonstrate lawfully.
“We will not accept the disruption of public order,” Erdogan, 71, told an audience in Istanbul. “Just as we have never yielded to street terrorism, we will not surrender to vandalism.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
