In cities across Turkey, thousands of people have protested against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main political opponent of the country’s President Recep Erdogan. Police reportedly used special means against the protesters.
In Istanbul, the protests are taking place outside the city’s mayor’s office, the police station where Imamoglu was taken after searches at his home, and outside the university that cancelled his diploma the day before the mayor’s detention, thus denying him the legal opportunity to run for president.
Police also used riot gear against students gathered on the university campus, the BBC and other world media reported.
Ozgur Ozel, leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party, which intended to nominate Ekrem Imamoglu for president in the upcoming elections, addressed the crowd outside the city hall. Özel called the detention of the Istanbul mayor a coup attempt.
The province of Istanbul, which includes the Turkish metropolis, has a ban on any demonstrations and rallies imposed the day before by the governor’s decision. Despite this, protests continue, taking place in other cities, including the Turkish capital Ankara.
Ekrem Imamoglu was detained on the morning of 19 March. He and about 100 others were accused of corruption offences and forming a criminal group that extorted businesses. Turkey’s Justice Ministry says the case is not politically motivated. The mayor of Istanbul himself called his prosecution a blow to the will of the people.