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Source: https://jiss.org.il/en/yanarocak-imamoglus-arrest/
Erdogan's Arrested Political Rival Had Condemned Hamas's Oct. 7 Attack
(Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security) Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak - Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - President Erdogan's most formidable political rival - was arrested at his home and imprisoned on March 19, the victim of an orchestrated political takedown. On April 28, 2024, Imamoglu unequivocally condemned Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, explicitly characterizing the group as a terrorist organization. This statement provoked a vehement response from Erdogan, who portrayed Hamas as freedom fighters. The writer is co-editor of Turkeyscope, a publication of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.