Large protests in support of detained mayor sweep Türkiye

Large crowds of protesters gathered for a fourth consecutive night in Turkish cities on Saturday, demanding the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested on corruption and terrorism charges.

Imamoglu, who ran for vice president in 2023, was detained on Wednesday.

He is a prominent member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and is widely seen as one of the main rivals of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The demonstrations took place in Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, and in Istanbul, the country’s largest city.

Police deployed water cannons to disperse the students protesting at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

Clashes broke out between the police and protesters during the previous nights. The officers used water cannons and tear gas, while some protesters pushed down security barriers and threw items at police…