Thousands of people gathered outside Istanbul city hall for a second night to protest the arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was detained on corruption and terror charges. The move is seen as an effort by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to remove a key rival from the next presidential race.
Imamoglu’s detention has sparked widespread protests across Turkey, despite government efforts to restrict demonstrations. Police used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protesters in Ankara, while demonstrators were arrested for sharing provocative social media content related to the mayor’s arrest.
Critics accuse Erdogan of using his power to suppress opposition voices and democracy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed concern over Imamoglu’s detention, calling it a “very bad sign” for Turkey’s relations with Europe.
The arrest comes just days before Imamoglu was expected to be nominated as the Republican People’s Party presidential candidate. The party’s leader has stated that the primary will proceed as planned, despite the controversy surrounding the mayor’s detention.
Turkey’s opposition parties have come together to condemn Erdogan’s actions and support Imamoglu. The government denies claims of political motivation behind the arrest, but analysts say it is an attempt by Erdogan to extend his rule beyond two decades.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/turkey-istanbul-mayor-arrest-crackdown-imamoglu-eb2f5f0582a32e0c15f881b54fda2ffc