U Turkey protests broke out after authorities detained the mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu, just a few days before he was supposed to announce his presidential candidacy.
Protesters took to the streets and university campuses, as well as subway stations, as crowds chanted anti-government slogans, a display of public anger not seen in years.
Photo: AP Photo/Emrah GurelProtests in Istanbul
There were reports of clashes between protesters and police in Turkey's largest city. Footage from the Reuters news agency shows police using pepper spray to disperse a crowd outside Istanbul University.
Thousands of people gathered in the cold in front of the city hall, shouting: "Erdogan, dictator!" and "Imamoglu, you are not alone!".
Imamoglu announced on the Internet that "the will of the people cannot be silenced."
In a video on social media Imamoglu said he filmed while police were outside his home, he vowed to "stand firmly" for the people of Turkey "and all those who support democracy and justice around the world."
Photo: AP Photo/Francisco SecoProtests in Istanbul
And in a handwritten note posted on his X account after his arrest, he said the people of Turkey would respond to "lies, conspiracies and traps" against him.
Imamoglu, from the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), is considered one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rivals.
Prosecutors accused him of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, adding that he was suspected of being "the leader of a criminal organization," which the CHP described as an "attempted coup against the next president."
Photo: AP Photo/Emrah GurelProtests in Istanbul
Police detained around a hundred people - including other politicians, journalists and businessmen - as part of the investigation.
The government has banned public gatherings for a four-day curfew, but more protests are expected across Turkey as opposition leaders, including Imamoglu's wife, call on people to "raise their voices".
Many streets in Istanbul were also closed to traffic, while some metro lines also canceled their services.
British internet freedom watchdog NetBlocks said on Wednesday that Turkey has severely restricted access to sites such as X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Turkey has seized the assets of a construction company co-owned by Imamoglu, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced.
