Tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey for a fifth night on March 23, after the main political rival to the country’s strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was formally arrested and charged with corruption.
Police officers were seen using tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons against the protestors, who were waving Turkish flags and pro-opposition banners. There were also reports of clashes between police and demonstrators.
Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was due to be selected in a vote on March 23 as the opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) candidate for Turkey’s next presidential election, which is currently scheduled for 2028.
SEE ALSO: Istanbul Mayor, Erdogan Rival Jailed Ahead Of Likely Presidential NominationBut Imamoglu, 54, and dozens of others, including politicians, journalists, and entrepreneurs were detained as a part of a corruption investigation on March 19.
The popular mayor was formally arrested on March 23 and charged with "establishing and managing a criminal organization, taking bribes, extortion,” and other crimes.
The mayor -- who is a member of the CHP, the main opposition against Erdogan's ruling alliance -- has denied the allegations against him, describing them as “unimaginable accusations and slanders.”
"I will never bow," Imamoglu wrote on X before his arrest.
Imamoglu’s detention is widely seen as a politically motivated act to remove him from the presidential race. But the government insists the country's courts are independent entities.
Riot police use pepper spray to clear a protester during a demonstration in Istanbul on March 23 after the city's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was arrested and jailed.
Imamoglu's wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, addressed the protesters outside Istanbul city hall in the evening on March 23, telling the large crowds that the "injustice" her husband has faced has "struck a chord with every conscience.”
The arrest of Imamoglu and others has further intensified political tensions and sparked protests across Turkey, with demonstrators rallying in at least 55 provinces to express support for him.
Police have detained 1,133 people across the country since the start of protests five days ago, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on March 24.
He added that 123 police officers had been injured during the protests and that the government would not allow what he described as "terrorizing of the streets.”
The Journalists' Union of Turkey said, nine journalists who covered the demonstrations were among those detained by police. It was not immediately clear why the reporters were detained.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (file photo)
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, who is also a member of the CHP, told reporters on March 23 that jailing his colleague was a disgrace for the judicial system.
Ozgur Ozel, chairman of the CHP, slammed Imamoglu's detention as an "attempted coup against our next president."
Several European countries have voiced concern over the developments in Istanbul, saying they feared the consequences for democracy over the move.
“The arrest of the mayor is deeply concerning,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, told reporters in Brussels.
“Turkey must uphold the democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials.”
Imamoglu tops Erdogan in some opinion polls. Erdogan has reached his two-term limit as president after having earlier served as the country's prime minister.
If he seeks to run again, as expected, he must either call an early election or change the constitution.