Fierce protests in Turkey after Erdogan rival jailed

A Turkish court on Sunday jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, pending trial on corruption charges in a move that inflamed the country's biggest protests in more than a decade.In total, rallies took place in at least 55 of Turkey's 81 provinces, or more than two-thirds of the country, according to a tally by French news agency AFP.The decision to send Imamoglu to jail comes after the main opposition party, European leaders and hundreds of thousands of protesters criticised the actions against him as politicised and undemocratic.Imamoglu said the allegations against him are politically motivated. "I will never bow," he wrote on X before he was remanded in custody.As the courtroom developments unfolded, there were signs that the mayor's troubles were galvanising opposition against Erdogan's government, which has run Turkey for 22 years.Nearly 15 million Republican People's Party (CHP) members and non-members, who made up the vast majority, streamed into polling stations nationwide to either elect or endorse Imamoglu as its candidate in a future presidential vote, the party said.The non-member vote - more than 13 million, according to the CHP - could indicate that Imamoglu, 54, enjoys wide public support beyond the party faithful. The party's chairman said it showed the need for early elections.Imamoglu has denied the charges he faces as "unimaginable accusations and slanders" and called for nationwide protests on Sunday. "We will rip away this coup, this dark stain on our democracy, all together," he said.UnrestFootage showed him being taken to Silivri prison in a police convoy after the ruling. The mayor of Turkey's largest city was also removed from duty, along with two other district mayors, the interior ministry said.The government denies that investigations are politically motivated and says courts are independent.Turkey's vice president, Cevdet Yilmaz, and Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan sought separately to calm market jitters that sparked a sharp selloff in Turkish assets since Imamoglu was detained last week, and that analysts expect to accelerate after his jailing.Officers were seen firing water cannons at some protesters and using pepper spray.Imamoglu's wife Dilek Kaya Imamoglu addressed the large crowds outside the city hall, telling demonstrators that the "injustice" her husband has faced has "struck a chord with every conscience".A nationwide ban on street gatherings was extended on Saturday for four more days but protests, scattered skirmishes with police and some detentions continued in major cities on Sunday, the fifth night of mostly peaceful anti-government demonstrations.

Fierce protests in Turkey after Erdogan rival jailed

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-01

Please login to leave a comment

Fierce protests in Turkey after Erdogan rival jailed

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-01

Please login to leave a comment

Login