Turkish cops on Wednesday arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his top political aide, and over 100 of his allies and associates in what dictator Recep Erdogan’s regime claims is part of an investigation into links to terrorism and corruption, the Times of Israel reports on an extra convenient coincidence given that it comes just after Erdawg’s ruling AK Party took a beating in local elections this month and days before the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was expected to give Imamoglu the nod for the 2028 presidential election at a convention this Sunday.
“Currently, there is a power in place to prevent the nation from determining the next president,” said CHP chair Ozgur Ozel. “We are facing an attempted coup against our next president.” The party nomination vote is unlikely to be held with Imamoglu’s bail status unclear. Cops imposed a four day ban on public demonstrations in Istanbul so Erdawg and his minions wouldn’t be annoyed.