19.03.2025 11:21
Following the detention of 106 individuals, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, extraordinary measures were taken around the Istanbul Police Headquarters located on Vatan Avenue. Police barriers were placed on numerous streets leading to the avenue.
```html
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that "a total of 106 suspects, including the suspect Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is the leader of a criminal organization, and the suspects Murat Ongun, Tuncay Yılmaz, Fatih Keleş, Ertan Yıldız, who are in positions of organization management, as well as 95 suspects connected to these individuals, have been ordered to be simultaneously captured, detained, searched, and have their belongings seized as of 19/03/2025 at 06:15 for the crimes of being a leader of a criminal organization, being a member of a criminal organization, bribery, qualified fraud, unlawfully obtaining personal data, and interfering with a tender, by the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Branch."
At the time of the announcement, 84 people, including İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu, his advisor Murat Ongun, İBB Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat, Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık, and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, were detained. It was stated that procedures for 22 people were still ongoing.
"I WANT MY ENTIRE NATION TO KNOW THAT I WILL STAND TALL"
While the police were at his home for the detention process, İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu made a statement, saying, "I regret to say; a handful of minds trying to usurp the will of our nation have amassed hundreds of police at the door of the homes of 16 million Istanbulites by using my beloved police and the country's security forces for evil. We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not back down. I love you all very much. I entrust myself to my nation. Let my entire nation know that I will stand tall. I will continue to fight against that person and the mind that uses the entire process as an apparatus."
Vatan Street and Surroundings Under Blockade
At the same time, the Istanbul Governorship announced extraordinary measures. The statement said, "In order to maintain public order throughout the province and to prevent any provocative actions that may occur, all kinds of meetings, demonstrations, and press statements have been banned for 4 days from March 19 to March 23." Many roads, especially Vatan Street, and some metro stations were closed to traffic.
Streets leading to the avenue were closed with barriers, and pedestrian and vehicle traffic was restricted on roads leading to the police. CHP Group Deputy Chairman Gökhan Günaydın stated that there were efforts for İmamoğlu's health check to be conducted at the police station instead of the hospital, and he said this was illegal. Günaydın also reminded that İmamoğlu had medications he needed to take.
```