Breaking News: Ekrem İmamoğlu reacts to detention order for Rıza Akpolat! 'Let those trying to create a perception with this scenario know that...'

As part of an investigation conducted in Istanbul, detention orders were issued for 47 people on allegations of committing irregularities in tenders to provide financial gain to their own companies. Among the suspects are Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was removed from office and replaced by a trustee, and Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu reacted to the operation.

In his post on his X account, İmamoğlu used the following expressions:

"Public officials and mayors who could come and give a statement or be held accountable at any moment are being detained from their homes at the crack of dawn with an 'operation,' information to be served to pro-government media to shape public opinion is being distributed, and access to accurate information is being blocked by imposing confidentiality orders. Then, what remains are justifications that cannot even be called funny. The same process was carried out this morning for our Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat and other officials. Let those trying to create a perception with this scenario know that you have not convinced anyone and will not be able to. Those whose intention is not the law cannot have a legal procedure either. We stand with our Mayor; we will follow the legal process to the end and expose all illegalities."

İstenildiği an gelip ifade verebilecek, hesap verebilecek kamu görevlileri, belediye başkanları sabahın köründe evlerinden “operasyon” ile gözaltına alınıyor, yandaş medyaya kamuoyu oluşturmak için servis edilecek bilgiler dağıtılıyor, gizlilik kararı alınarak doğru bilgiye…

— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) January 13, 2025