Ozgur Ozel, leader of the Turkish opposition Republican People's Party, believes that the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is due to Erdogan's fear of losing the presidential election.
"Imamoglu has never lost an election, and Erdogan, who has also never lost, has repeatedly said that 'whoever takes Istanbul will take the whole country.' Erdogan believes more in Imamoglu's victory in the presidential election than I do," Ozel said.
Before his arrest, Imamoglu managed to record a video in which he called the ongoing event a blatant injustice and announced that he would continue the struggle.
At the moment, the Istanbul Municipality building is surrounded by police. Any gatherings in the city are prohibited.
