As protests intensify, the detained mayor of Istanbul faces inquiries on the next day
Istanbul (AP) – Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has questioned police about allegations related to terror, the day after his trial of allegations of corruption. His arrest this week sparked widespread protests throughout Turkey, with protesters rallying in multiple cities to express opposition.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted on social media that 343 suspects were detained in protests in major cities on Friday night, adding: “For those seeking to violate social order and threaten the peace and security of the people, the intolerance and pursuit of chaos and provocation.” The cities listed include Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, Konya and Edirne.
The mayor, a popular opposition figure, is seen as the biggest challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was detained Wednesday after allegations of his allegations of financial crime and alleged attacks with Kurdish militants. Dozens of other important figures were also detained, including two district mayors.
Many see the arrest as a politically driven attempt to remove Erdogan’s main challenger in the next presidential campaign, currently scheduled for 2028. Government officials refused to accuse the legal action against opposition figures of politically motivated and insisted that the Turkish courts operated independently.
Police questioned the corruption charges for four hours on Friday, during which he denied all charges, the Koumheriet newspaper and other media reports. He is expected to be transferred to court later Saturday to question prosecutors and face possible charges.
His arrest sparked a steadily increasing protest.
Police in Istanbul on Friday used pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets to push hundreds of protesters as they tried to break through barricades in front of the city’s historic aqueduct while throwing flares, stones and other objects at police. Police also dispersed the group that had assembled a third night outside the city hall after opposition Republican BJP leader Ozgur Ozel gave a speech in support of the mayor.
At the same time, police broke up in the capital Ankara and the Aegean coastal city Izmir, and sometimes took strong measures, according to the television image. Thousands of people marched among several other cities, calling on the government to resign.
Erdogan earlier said the government would not tolerate street protests and accused opposition parties of ties to corruption and terrorist groups. Meanwhile, authorities in Ankara and Izmir announced a five-day ban on demonstrations, following similar measures taken in Istanbul.
“Anti-corruption campaigns carried out in Istanbul are used as an excuse to stir up turmoil in our streets. I hope we know that we do not allow a few opportunists to bring about Turkish unrest for their predatory plans,” Erdogan said.
Imamoglu's arrest came days after he was expected to be nominated for the opposition Republican BJP in the primary election on Sunday. Ozel said that about 1.5 million primary elections that could vote would go as planned.
The opposition also urged citizens to participate in a symbolic election on Sunday, setting up in Türkiye through an impromptu ballot box to show solidarity with Imamogru.
In a message posted on his social media account on Saturday, Imamogru described his arrest as a “coup” and accused the government of exploiting the judiciary and exacerbating the country’s troubled economy.
“With your support, we will first defeat this coup, and then we will package it into this coup,” he wrote on social media platform X.
