Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is long seen as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rival, was arrested on Wednesday as part of the country's corruption investigation.

Prosecutors say he is accused of being a "criminal organisation leader suspect", reported BBC.

As per media reports, hundreds of other suspects, including journalists and politicians, were also detained as part of the probe.

A total of 106 detention warrants were issued in the investigations and so far, 84 suspects have been detained, reported Daily Sabah.

Ekrem Imamoglu is seen as a powerful figure in the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

He was detained just days before he was scheduled to be named as the party's 2028 presidential election candidate.

Reacting to the allegations made against him, he earlier posted on X: "The will of the people is being dealt a blow."

Degree Revocation

His detention occurred just days after Istanbul University revoked his degree amid claims that he had falsely obtained it.

The Turkish politician called the university's action 'unlawful'.

He wrote on X: "The decision of the Istanbul University Board of Directors is UNLAWFUL. They do not have the authority to make such a decision. The authority lies only with the Board of Directors of the Faculty of Business Administration."

CHP's Presidential Election

CHP's Presidential election where Imamoglu is fighting as the only contestant is scheduled to take place on Sunday.

As per the Turkish constitution, the Presidential candidate in the country needs to have a higher degree to hold the position.

CHP calls detention as a 'Coup'

The party's chairman, Ozgur Ozel, wrote on X: "Making decisions instead of the people, replacing the will of the people or using force to prevent it is a coup."

"Right now, a force is in place to prevent the people from determining the next president. We are faced with a coup attempt on our next president," the chairman said.