Istanbul mayor's arrest ignites mass protests amid 2028 race
The Mayor of Istanbul and Erdogan's rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, was officially arrested this morning on charges of corruption, according to Turkish media.
The Turkish prosecutor's office requested the court to detain the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, and four of his associates until the trial in connection with charges of corruption and links to terrorism, Imamoglu's office reported early Sunday morning.
A few hours later, the court granted the prosecutor's request.
Ekrem Imamoglu, the Mayor of Istanbul and a politician from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was detained on Wednesday in two cases related to corruption and connections with terrorism. Imamoglu strongly denies the charges.
The politician's arrest sparked a wave of protests in several Turkish cities. Imamoglu is likely to be chosen in the CHP primaries on Sunday as the party's candidate in the 2028 presidential elections.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators, responding to a call from Istanbul's mayor and the CHP, also took to the streets of the largest Turkish metropolis on Saturday.
Most of the protesters were young people, although there were many families and older individuals in the crowd as well.
In the crowd of demonstrators, dozens of people were selling meals and flags or distributing disposable masks—some demonstrators covered their faces fearing tear gas or being recorded by the authorities.
On Friday, around 300,000 people participated in demonstrations in Istanbul.
