ANKARA, Turkey — On Tuesday, Turkish authorities apprehended the head of a far-right opposition group due to allegations of inciting violence through various anti-refugee remarks shared on social media, according to his political party.

Umit Ozdag, who leads the anti-immigration Victory Party, was taken into custody by law enforcement officers on Monday as part of a probe that also involved accusations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a speech he delivered the previous day.

Although the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office initially released Ozdag concerning the allegations against the president, he was soon re-arrested on charges related to “inciting hatred and hostility among the public,” as stated by his party.

The prosecution introduced 11 of Ozdag’s posts from the platform X as part of the evidence against him, asserting that he played a role in inciting riots targeting Syrian refugees in Kayseri, a central province of Turkey, last year, which resulted in the destruction of several homes and businesses.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the well-known mayor of Istanbul and a potential rival to Erdogan in the upcoming elections, publicly condemned the arrest, claiming on X that it’s widely recognized as political interference with the judicial system.

Imamoglu, who is affiliated with the major opposition party in Turkey, was convicted in 2022 for insulting members of the nation’s electoral board, and he faces the risk of a two-year political ban pending a decision from an appeals court.

Ozdag, who is 63 and has a background in academia, has been a formidable voice against Turkey’s refugee policies and has been vocal about his stance for the return of millions of Syrian refugees back to their homeland.

Following the arrest, reports indicated that Ozdag was being transported to Silivri prison, located on the outskirts of Istanbul. Meanwhile, Mehmet Ali Sehirlioglu, the spokesperson for the party, will take over the leadership of the Victory Party on an interim basis.