Hundreds of thousands protest against Imamoglu's arrest

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• Ten days after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, hundreds of thousands of people in the Bosphorus metropolis have protested against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Opposition supporters gathered on the Asian side of the city on Saturday to demonstrate for the preservation of democracy in Turkey, AFP reporters reported.
• The leader of the largest opposition party CHP, Özgur Özel, even spoke of more than two million participants at the rally.

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In Istanbul, hundreds of thousands of people are protesting at a rally against the imprisonment of deposed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Following a call by his CHP party, they gathered in the Maltepe district, waving Turkish flags and demanding the release of the popular politician.

Imamoglu had been arrested for opposing the "dictator", said CHP chairman Özgür Özel, addressing the crowd. The place for resistance is the street.

Promising Erdogan challenger

Imamoglu is considered the most important challenger to head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential election planned for 2028 and was arrested on March 19 in connection with allegations of corruption and terrorism, later arrested for the former and removed from office.

The 53-year-old is being held in the Marmara high-security prison in Istanbul. Despite his arrest, he was nominated as the candidate of the Republican People's Party (CHP) last week.

1900 people arrested - including journalists

Imamoglu's family and the families of those arrested during the protests took part in the peaceful demonstration on the eve of the Muslim Sugar Festival.

According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, almost 1900 people have been detained since the protests began, including several journalists. 260 people have been arrested. In an initial indictment, the Istanbul public prosecutor's office is demanding up to three years in prison for 74 of the demonstrators for participating in banned gatherings, according to state broadcaster TRT.

Mayor in custody

Imamoglu's case is reminiscent of Erdogan's path to power

Erdogan claims that the imprisonment of Imamoglu and several of his associates is part of an independent investigation and accuses the CHP of trying to cover up a nationwide corruption network. He threatened to uncover further corruption within the CHP and announced a crackdown on protesters.

The police are accused of torture by the opposition. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on Platform X that the detainees had been found to have links to twelve different terrorist organizations. According to lawyers, most of those arrested are students.