India, March 19 -- 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.

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...