ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Istanbul’s mayor and strong opponent of the country’s president was transferred to prison after the interior ministry removed him from the mayor’s office.

A Turkish court on Sunday ruled on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest on corruption charges, four days after his detention which sparked violent protests in the country’s largest metropolitan city. 

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Sunday evening said that Imamoglu was handed over to guards at Marama Prison, more commonly known as Silivri.

Speaking of his arrest warrant, Imamoglu in an X post said “Turkey woke up to a great betrayal today. The judicial process being carried out is not a judicial procedure, it is an execution without trial.”

Imamoglu and 99 others are being investigated on corruption charges.

They are also being probed in a second case on "terror-related" allegations.

Imamoglu, the anticipated main rival of Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the upcoming presidential elections, was detained by security forces on Wednesday on multiple charges including bribery, extortion, money laundering, and aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

His arrest sparked large demonstrations across the country in recent days, with clashes breaking out between the protesters and security forces who used tear gas and water cannons to quell the protests.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 343 protesters were detained during the demonstrations in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Canakkale, Eskisehir, Konya, and Edirne on Friday evening.

Imamoglu’s arrest came just days before he was to be formally named the candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for the 2028 presidential race.

A day before his arrest, Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu’s university degree, on grounds it was falsely obtained.