Unrest over arrest and imprisonment of Istanbul mayor continues in Turkey

IRNA- Protests and political chaos continue in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges.

Hundreds of thousands of people have descended on the streets nationwide, especially the commercial hub Istanbul to protest for the five consecutive days.

Activists posted videos on social media on Sunday, demonstrating a new form of protest against the arrest of Imamoglu, by banging pots and pans inside their homes, turning on lights, and chanting slogans of “right, rights, justice.”

In addition to Istanbul, several other cities also witnessed demonstrations against “a politically driven attempt by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to eliminate a key rival.”

The mostly peaceful crowds sometime turned violent, launching fireworks at riot police, who in turn deployed rubber bullets, pepper spray and water cannons in an attempt to quell the unrest.

At the same time, security forces arrested hundreds of opposition supporters which is seen as a dramatic escalation in crackdowns on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkey.

It all started last Wednesday, when voters headed to the polls for the Republican People's Party (CHP) primary to name Imamoglu the candidate for the 2028 presidential race.

But news broke that the mayor had been detained for questioning as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links leading widespread protests.

On Sunday, a court formally ordered him jailed, pending a trial despite Imamoglu’s denial to the charges against him.

The unrest, the largest in over a decade, has spread rapidly despite a protest ban in three largest cities and a warning from President Erdogan that authorities will not tolerate "street terror".

The government has dismissed protesters' accusations and insists that courts operate independently and that the prosecutor's office had a lengthy list of allegations against Imamoglu.