Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu suspended from office following arrest: Interior Ministry
Ekrem Imamoglu gestures as he delivers a speech on stage during his repeated political campaign coordination meeting on May 22, 2019 in Istanbul. (AFP Photo)
Türkiye’s Interior Ministry announced on Sunday afternoon that Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been temporarily suspended from office following his arrest, along with Beylikduzu Mayor Mehmet Murat Calik and Sisli Mayor Resul Emrah Sahan.
Imamoglu and Calik were arrested on Sunday morning on corruption charges, while Sahan was detained as part of an ongoing terrorism investigation.
According to the ministry’s statement, both Imamoglu and Calik were suspended from their positions as a precautionary measure.
Acting mayor appointed to Sisli
The Istanbul Governor’s Office announced that the municipal councils of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Beylikduzu Municipality will convene on Wednesday, Mar. 26, to elect acting mayors.
Meanwhile, due to the arrest of Resul Emrah Sahan on charges of “aiding an armed terrorist organization,” Sisli District Governor Cevdet Erturkmen has been appointed as acting mayor by the Istanbul Governor’s Office.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that a total of 89 individuals were brought before the court as part of the investigation. The court ordered the arrest of 48 suspects, while the remaining 41 were released under judicial supervision.
