Türkiye detains more than 1,000 people after 5 days of arrest of Istanbul Mayor, President Erdogan and opposition speak out

The Turkish government's announcement of the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and about 100 others in connection with a corruption investigation has sparked the largest street protests in more than a decade in the country.

Mr. Ekrem Imamoglu, who was the Mayor of Istanbul, Türkiye before being arrested and dismissed on March 19 and 23. (Source: money control news)

On March 19, Mayor Imamoglu of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and about 100 others, including journalists and businessmen, were arrested.

Mayor Imamoglu, 54, and about 100 others are suspected of participating in criminal activities related to several city tenders, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

In addition, Mr. Imamoglu and six others were accused of supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye.

On March 23, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced the appointment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

The arrest of Mr Imamoglu, one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leading political opponents, has sparked strong protests in the country, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in Istanbul and other cities, despite a four-day ban on all gatherings and demonstrations.

Meanwhile, the opposition CHP party called for continued nationwide protests.

On March 24, Reuters news agency reported that President Erdogan accused the wave of protests against the decision to imprison Mayor Imamoglu of turning into a "violent movement" and affirmed that the opposition CHP party would be responsible for the injuries of police officers as well as property damage.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, President Erdogan asked the CHP to stop “inciting” people, saying that the “show” of Türkiye’s main opposition party would eventually end and they would feel ashamed of what they had done to the country.

Earlier, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikiaya accused protesters of posing a threat to national security, saying 1,133 people had been arrested during five days of protests, while 123 police officers had been injured.

On the opposition side, on March 22, Mayor Imamoglu told the police that the accusations against him were "immoral and baseless" aimed at "undermining the position and prestige" of this politician.

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