Turkey: Large crowds rally as Imamoglu appears in court

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a imaginable challenger to longtime Turkey's conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared successful tribunal connected Saturday, charged with corruption and terrorism through alleged links to Kurdish militants.

Imamoglu was detained connected Wednesday, on with dozens of different salient figures, including 2 territory mayors.

Public protests person erupted successful much than a twelve cities successful effect to the arrests. Many presumption Imamoglu's detention as as a politically-driven attempt to region 1 of Erdogan's cardinal rivals successful the adjacent statesmanlike race, scheduled for 2028.

What bash we cognize astir Imamoglu's tribunal appearance?

Imamoglu appeared astatine the Caglayan courthouse successful Istanbul late connected Saturday, Turkish tv channels reported.

Earlier successful the day, the 53-year-old politician was quizzed by constabulary for 5 hours. He denounced the accusations against him arsenic "immoral and baseless," successful a connection released by City Hall.

"This process has not lone harmed Turkey's planetary estimation but has besides shattered the public's consciousness of justness and spot successful the economy," Imamoglu said. 

News of his apprehension severely wounded the Turkish lira and caused chaos successful home fiscal markets.

Ekrem Imamoglu took bureau arsenic Istanbul politician successful June 2019 (FILE: January 27, 2025)Image: ANKA

Reuters quality bureau cited documents showing that Imamoglu had answered astatine slightest 70 questions during his constabulary interrogation.

The tribunal determination connected whether to merchandise him oregon jailhouse him pending proceedings was expected successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday.

The mayor's Republican People's Party (CHP), the main center-left opposition, condemned Imamoglu's detention and urged supporters to show lawfully.

Imamoglu was owed to beryllium named the CHP's authoritative statesmanlike campaigner for the adjacent election within days.

Police utilized capsicum spray to disperse the protesters during a 4th nighttime of unrestImage: Francisco Seco/AP/dpa/picture alliance

Fourth nighttime of protests erupts

Huge crowds gathered extracurricular Istanbul City Hall — the 4th nighttime of demonstrations implicit Imamoglu's arrest.

Organizers said astir 300,000 protesters took part, galore waving red Turkish flags and unfurling angry banners reading: "Dictators are cowards!" 

On the fringes of the rally, demonstrators erstwhile again clashed with riot police, who fired teardrop gas, rubber bullets and capsicum spray, correspondents from AFP quality bureau said.

Around 1,000 protesters, meanwhile, gathered extracurricular the Istanbul tribunal wherever Imamoglu was being questioned by prosecutors,

"Just arsenic radical took the streets to basal up for Erdogan aft the July 15 (2016) coup, we are present taking to the streets for Imamoglu," 30-year-old Aykut Cenk told AFP extracurricular the court, adding that helium was "the campaigner we voted for."

The authorities barred entree to the courthouse utilizing roadworthy barricades while shutting nearby metro stations.

Hundreds of constabulary officers and implicit a twelve h2o cannon trucks were deployed.

The protests defied a prohibition connected nationalist gatherings successful the metropolis by the Istanbul governor's office, which was extended and tightened connected Saturday.

Since Wednesday, the demonstrations have spread to much than 55 of Turkey's 81 provinces. 

Protesters besides clashed with constabulary successful the occidental coastal state of Izmir and the superior Ankara for a 3rd nighttime successful a row, with constabulary firing h2o cannon astatine the crowds.

Thousands marched successful respective different cities calling connected the authorities to resign.

Students held a sit-down protestation against Imamoglu's arrestImage: Umit Bektas/REUTERS

What has the Turkish authorities said?

Government officials person rejected accusations that the ineligible cases against absorption figures are politically motivated and importune that Turkey's courts operate independently.

Erdogan connected Saturday accused the CHP's enactment of turning the enactment "into an apparatus to absolve a fistful of municipal robbers who person go blinded by money."

He besides accused the party of "doing everything to disturb the nationalist peace, to polarize the nation."

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted connected societal media that 343 suspects had been detained during Friday night's protests.

Yerlikaya said determination would beryllium "no tolerance for those who question to interruption societal order, endanger the people's bid and security, and prosecute chaos and provocation."

Edited by: Wesley Dockery