Istanbul's mayor’s absence spelled more trouble for the city's residents, who already suffered from a lack of maintenance in public transit, non-functioning escalators and worsening traffic under Ekrem Imamoğlu.
Authorities announced the closure of several metro stations, streets and roads in Istanbul on Wednesday after the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) threatened to incite riots after the detention of Imamoğlu.
The Emniyet-Fatih station of the Yenikapı-Ataturk Airport/Kirazlı metro line and Taksim station on the M2 Yenikapı-Hacıosman metro line were shut down until further notice. The former is located directly across the city’s police headquarters, where Imamoğlu was in custody, while the latter is located at Taksim Square, a main venue for violent riots in the past.
In a press statement, the Istanbul governor’s office stated that a four-day ban on all meetings, demonstrations and press statements would be enforced across the city on 19-23 to maintain public order and prevent potential provocative actions. The governorate also shut down several roads connecting near police headquarters, from Adnan Menderes Boulevard, or Vatan Street, as it is colloquially known where the headquarters is located, to Akşemsettin Street.
After Imamoğlu’s detention, CHP leader Özgür Özel said, “The nation would not allow the state to stand against it."
“The true power lies in the nation. Exerting power to block public will is a coup. We are facing a coup against the next president,” said a self-confident Özel who nominated Imamoğlu as his party’s presidential candidate for an early election he hoped for.
“We will not surrender,” he said in his statement.
A small group of supporters gathered near police headquarters while a larger group was present outside the municipality building of Şişli, whose mayor was detained alongside Imamoğlu.
