A digital bilboard displays a picture of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu during a municipal council to elect an interim mayor to run the city after Imamoglu was jailed pending trial, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 26, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's justice minister said on Thursday the decision to arrest Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was based on criminal reports and not linked to the timing of the opposition CHP party's selection of Imamoglu as its presidential candidate.
The decision to arrest Imamoglu was reasonable, considering the gravity of allegations against him, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc told a press conference in Istanbul.
(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer and Ece Toksabay, Writing by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
