Over 1,000 protesters detained in Turkey since Istanbul’s mayor’s arrest

Turkish authorities have detained 1,133 people across Turkey since the start of protests five days ago against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday.

The detention last Wednesday of Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, has triggered the biggest street protests in Turkey in more than a decade. On Sunday, a court jailed him, pending trial, on corruption charges that he denies.

Despite bans on street gatherings in many cities, the mostly peaceful anti-government demonstrations continued for a fifth consecutive night on Sunday, with hundreds of thousands taking part.

Yerlikaya said 123 police officers had been injured during the protests so far, adding that the government would not allow “the terrorising of the streets”.

Those detained include nine journalists who covered overnight protests in several cities, the Journalists’ Union of Turkey said on Monday.

It was not immediately clear why the journalists were detained. An Agence France Presse (AFP) staff photographer is among the detained journalists, the union said in a post on X.

Imamoglu’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been calling for protests against the court decision to arrest the mayor, which they label as politicised and undemocratic.

Imamoglu has denied the charges he faces as “unimaginable accusations and slanders” and has also called for nationwide protests.

Erdogan said last week that the government would not accept “the disruption of public order”. His government denies that the investigations are politically motivated and says the courts are independent.

Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, said on Monday the CHP’s call for protests was aimed at covering up the opposition’s shortcomings.

“Democratic protest is a (fundamental) right, but the language used by the CHP is not the language of democratic protest,” Celik said.

JAILED ‘FOR NO REASON’

Imamoglu, 54, was jailed pending trial on Sunday, as the CHP held a primary election to name him presidential candidate. Some 15 million votes were cast in support of the mayor.

News of Imamoglu’s arrest covered the front pages of Turkish newspapers on Monday, with opposition media suggesting the mayor was arrested for being the most credible challenger to Erdogan.

The mayor’s supporters said on Monday the jailing of Imamoglu demonstrated a lack of justice in Turkey.

“I think there is an injustice committed against Imamoglu. They put the man in prison for no reason,” said Adem Bali, a 22- year-old construction worker.

Cigdem Tatlica, an unemployed 50-year-old, said she believed there was no justice in Turkey. “This system cannot continue like this.”

In an address to the demonstration in Istanbul’s Sarachane district in front of the municipality building, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said on Sunday that they would continue the protests until Imamoglu was released.

—Huseyin Hayatsever and Ali Kucukgocmen, Reuters

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