Ankara: Turkish authorities have detained 343 individuals during overnight protests across multiple cities following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Interior Ministry announced on Saturday.
Demonstrations erupted in over a dozen cities, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, as thousands of people took to the streets. The ministry stated that the detentions were carried out to prevent “disruption of public order” and warned that authorities would not tolerate “chaos and provocation”.
Since Wednesday, when Imamoglu was taken into custody on charges including graft and aiding a terrorist group, public outcry has grown. Imamoglu, a key political opponent of President Tayyip Erdogan, has consistently led in some opinion polls, intensifying tensions ahead of upcoming elections.
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The mayor’s party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), denounced the arrest as politically motivated and called on supporters to protest within legal boundaries.
