Nuri Aslan Elected Interim Mayor of Istanbul as Protests Erupt Over Imamoglu’s Imprisonment

Nuri Aslan of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been elected as the interim mayor of Istanbul, replacing Ekrem Imamoglu, who is currently imprisoned on corruption charges, Al Jazeera reports.

The election comes amidst widespread protests across Turkey following Imamoglu’s detention a week ago, which supporters denounce as politically motivated.

Local broadcaster NTV and Turkish news outlet Anadolu reported that Aslan secured the position after multiple rounds of voting within Istanbul’s municipal government on Wednesday. He ultimately prevailed with 177 votes in the final round.

Speaking at the Istanbul Municipality building, CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel stated that the election had successfully thwarted what he described as Erdogan’s attempt to install a trustee in the municipality.

The election follows a week of escalating demonstrations triggered by Imamoglu’s arrest on graft and “terrorism” charges, the latter of which has since been dismissed by the court. Supporters of Imamoglu view the legal action as a “coup” and have taken to the streets in defiance of protest bans in major cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that police had detained 1,418 people in connection with the protests as of Tuesday afternoon, including 11 Turkish journalists covering the events, seven of whom are currently being held in custody.

Despite the crackdown on gatherings and numerous arrests, protests have continued. President Erdogan has remained defiant in the face of the unrest, denouncing the rallies as “street terror” and dismissing accusations of political interference in the legal proceedings against Imamoglu. Government officials maintain that Turkey’s courts operate independently.

While the protests have largely continued nightly, the CHP announced a possible shift in tactics, stating they would not be calling for another protest outside the Istanbul mayor’s office on Wednesday evening. In previous nights, some protests have devolved into clashes with riot police, whose response has drawn criticism from human rights organizations.