Turkey's streets have been crowded with protesters fighting against the arrest of Istanbul's mayor and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan main rival Ekram Imamoglu.
As reported by Associated Press, on Friday, March 21, 2025 the leader of Turkey's main opposition asked their supporters to return to streets despite the ban on protests amid recent tension.
The mayor was arrested after authorises raided his house on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 over alleged terror links and corruption charges.s
Many citizens view the arrest as a way to remove a popular opposition figure and key challenger before the next presidential race, which is scheduled for 2028.
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However, government officials rejected all the claims of the arrest being politically driven and insisted that the courts operate independently.
Since the arrest, thousands of people have gathered at Istanbul's city hall for night-time rallies, and clashes have erupted between demonstrators and authorities in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
One of the most violent clashes took place at Ankara's Middle East Technical University, where police used tear gas and water canons to control the crowd, with some students claiming that rubber bullets were also used.
Authorities in Ankara and Izmir announced a five-day prohibition on demonstrations, following Istanbul due to the seriousness of the demonstrations.
However, Ozgur Ozel, the chairman of the Republican People's Party, respond to the ban with a fresh request for supporters to gather, along with that he also urged the people to take part in symbolic election on Sunday to show their support for the Mayor.
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Notably, Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest came just days before he was expected to be nominated as the Republican People's Party's presidential candidate on Sunday, March 23, 2025.
