- The mayor is expected to challenge Erdogan in the next election.
- The arrests sparked large-scale demonstrations.
- Turbulent crisis.
Thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Saturday to protest the prison sentence of President Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, maintaining the biggest demonstration in a decade.
Thousands of people have noticed opposition calls and taken the streets nationwide since Imamoglu was detained last week before being sentenced to jail for grafting charges. The protests were mostly peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people have been detained.
The main opposition Republican Party (CHP), other opposition parties, rights groups and Western powers have all said the case against Imamogru is a political effort to eliminate potential election threats to Erdogan.
The government denied any impact on the judiciary and said the court was independent.
Thousands of waving Turkish flags and banners poured into the ground of Maltepe on the Asian side of Istanbul into the “Free Imamogru” rally organized by the Centre for Health Protection on Saturday.
A flag was held high among the crowd.
A CHP supporter who declined to be named said: “The trends in the economy, the trends in the law, the trends in the law are getting worse and worse. That’s why we are here. We say ‘rights, law and justice’ and we are seeking our rights.
Last Sunday, the Centre for Health Protection held a primary election to recognize Imamoglu as a candidate for the next presidential election. This is scheduled to be held in 2028, but the Health Association of Health and Health Deutsches called for early elections, believing that the government has lost its legitimacy.
Home Minister Ali Yerlikaya said this week that nearly 1,900 people have been detained since the protests began, adding that as of Thursday, the court had been sentenced to 260 people in jail.
Erdogan, who has ruled Turkish politics for two decades, saw national protests as “shows”, warn of legal consequences and called on the Centre for Health Protection to stop “causing” Turks.
The central bank has used reserves to support the lira as the plummets of Türkiye’s financial assets detained by Imamoglu has prompted the central bank to use reserves. The turmoil caused shock waves through the private sector.
The government said the impact would be limited and temporary. The bank said the core driving force of the economy was not hurt, but that would take further measures if needed.
