İmamoğlu Slams Arrests of CHP Mayors: “This Is No Longer Politics, It’s Hate”
imamoglu
Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has strongly condemned the recent arrests and detentions of CHP-affiliated mayors, declaring that the government’s actions have crossed from political rivalry into a campaign of hate.
Posting on social media, İmamoğlu accused authorities of abandoning both law and conscience, describing the treatment of detained mayors as both inhumane and politically motivated.
“Our Lives Are at Risk Now”
One of İmamoğlu’s most serious concerns involved Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, who was allegedly sent to prison before completing medical treatment, later suffering a health relapse and undergoing angioplasty.
He also pointed out that Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı was arrested in a midnight raid at 1:30 AM, a move İmamoğlu said could not be justified by any legal or moral standard.
“I’ve said it before: forget fair trials—our lives are now in danger,” he wrote.
“This Isn’t Political Competition—It’s Hate”
İmamoğlu warned that the escalating judicial pressure on opposition figures is no longer about electoral contests.
“What we are witnessing is not political rivalry—this is organized hatred,” he said, framing the arrests as part of a deeper erosion of democratic norms.
“A Politician Who Hates Their Own People?”
Ending his post with sharp words directed at the government, İmamoğlu questioned the moral standing of those in power.
“Can a politician hate their own nation?” he asked, adding:
“At this point, there’s no one left to entrust you to but God.”
His statement reflects a growing chorus of opposition criticism against what is perceived as an authoritarian clampdown on CHP-led municipalities.