It is not unusual for Turkish courts to issue formal arrest orders for people already in custody when a new investigation is launched. Critics say the courts are politicised, an allegation rejected by the government which says they are independent.
Some analysts say the move against Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival, could lead to the state seizing control of the municipality of Istanbul, which is Europe’s largest city.
The espionage probe marks an escalation of a year-long legal crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which the government’s critics see as damaging Turkey’s democratic credentials.
Imamoglu and his party are already facing an array of allegations that they deny. Imamoglu has been in jail since March pending trial on separate corruption charges, and also received a fresh jail sentence in July for insulting and threatening the chief Istanbul prosecutor.
The latest court ruling accuses Imamoglu of engaging in graft to raise funds for his presidential candidacy and of “espionage” to secure international support, the state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
