Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's strongest rival in the upcoming elections, was detained by police at his home in Istanbul on charges of ‘aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organisation'. People gathered in many cities across Turkey to protest the detention. In Ankara, many CHP supporters gathered in Kızılay Square to protest Imamoğlu's detention. More recently, Imamoğlu's university diploma was cancelled by Istanbul University, making it impossible for him to participate in the upcoming presidential elections as he is not a university graduate.