Clashes and 1,133 arrests have been reported in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu on Wednesday (March 19). The protests, which have taken place in 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, continue despite the ban on gatherings. . [1], [2].
Turkey’s Interior Minister reported that 343 people were arrested on Saturday due to the protests.
The mayor of Turkey’s largest city and a rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been placed in pre-trial detention on charges of leading a criminal organization, bribery, misconduct, and corruption, along with dozens of his employees and municipal staff.
A meeting of Turkish banks was held under the Central Bank, which injected $12 billion into the market as the Turkish lira fell by up to 8%.
İmamoğlu and at least four others also faced separate charges for “aiding an armed terrorist group” due to his cooperation with a left-wing political coalition before last year’s local elections.
On Sunday, elections were held to select the president of his party (CHP – Republican People’s Party), with 15 million people voting to endorse E. İmamoğlu.
Of the 15 million, only 1.6 million were members of the Republican People’s Party.
İmamoğlu won a second term as mayor of Istanbul last year, while the CHP also won in the local elections in Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
