Turkish police raided the home of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Wednesday, detaining him over a corruption probe.
A powerful figure within the CHP, Imamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival.
Widely seen as the strongest candidate to challenge Erdogan, Imamoglu's career has been overshadowed by a string of legal cases.
The police raid occurred just hours after Istanbul University revoked his degree. There was a claim that the degree was falsely obtained.
According to AFP, the revocation is a high-stakes move as Turkey's presidential candidates need a higher education qualification.
Imamoglu "was detained and is now at police headquarters", said a press aide.
"Hundreds of police officers have arrived at my door. I entrust myself to the people," the Imamoglu said in a video posted on X.
A statement from the Istanbul public prosecutor's office cited charges including bribery and extortion, saying that Imamoglu was the leader of a "criminal organization".
The move appeared to be in connection with a probe into alleged "tender rigging" by Imamoglu that was opened in 2023.
But local media reports, including Anadolu, said his detention was also linked to a separate probe for allegedly aiding the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
bd-pratidin/Rafid
