Istanbul mayor arrested ahead of selection to run against Erdogan
Newshour
BBC
4.4 • 984 Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2025
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The mayor of Istanbul, who's the main political rival to President Erdogan, has been formally arrested on corruption charges. The detention of Ekrem İmamoglu triggered protests across Turkey. The court confirmed he would be held in custody pending trial. Mr İmamoglu is expected to be confirmed as a presidential candidate today. We speak to Ilnur Cevik, a member of President Erdogan's security and foreign policy council.
Also, how Uganda's health system is coping with the loss of US AID money. We hear from Dr Herbert Luswata., the president of the Ugandan Medical Association.
We hear from Romania where the supporters of the far-right politician Calin Georgescu say he should not have been prevented from taking part in coming elections.
And the lost music of the French composer Ravel gets a radio outing!
(Photo: Ekrem Imamoglu. Credit: Reuters)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to NewsHour. It's coming to you live from the BBC World Service |
| 0:07.8 | Studios in central London. I'm Tim Franks. And we're beginning with Turkey and a day of, let's say, |
| 0:14.4 | contrasting fortunes for the leading opposition figure Ekrem Imammolu, the mayor of Istanbul. |
| 0:20.2 | We're expecting him to be confirmed later |
| 0:22.2 | today as his party's candidate to stand in the next presidential elections. But if that were to |
| 0:28.4 | happen, he will get the news behind bars, because this morning, local time, a court in Istanbul |
| 0:34.7 | ruled that he should be remanded in jail while he's investigated |
| 0:38.2 | over corruption. Through his lawyers, Mr. Imammolu has posted on X, the message that we will |
| 0:44.8 | hand in hand uproot this blow, this black stain on our democracy, I will not bow down. |
| 0:51.8 | There have been protests across the country since his arrest four days ago. |
| 1:00.0 | The sound of police in Istanbul firing pepper spray at demonstrators outside the municipality |
| 1:06.5 | building. An economic student who's been part of those protests told the BBC that Mr. Imammolu's |
| 1:12.4 | detention was not the only thing driving people onto the streets. |
| 1:16.0 | The only common point that binds us is to hope to restore Turkish democracy. |
| 1:23.0 | That is why we are standing against the Erdogan regime now. |
| 1:27.0 | This protest is not just about Imam al-I. |
| 1:29.7 | I mean, Imam Ali is our only hope for restoring Turkish democracy, |
| 1:33.8 | but we grew up in Erdogan's Turkey. |
| 1:36.5 | I mean, we grow up in an atmosphere of fear, atmospheric dictatorship. |
| 1:42.0 | And our main hope, our main aim is to save our country. We want to live in a democracy. |
| 1:51.6 | We want to live in a freedom of speech. And as for the political prospects for Ekram Imammolu, |
| 1:57.0 | in a video message on Saturday evening, the leader of the main opposition, CHP, Erzgou Erzel, |
... |
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