Istanbul court formally arrests mayor as protests intensify
An Istanbul court has formally placed the city's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, under arrest in a graft probe, four days after his detention sparked Turkey's worst unrest in over a decade.
The mayor is one of 100 people being investigated on corruption charges, and is also being probed in a second case on "terror-related" allegations, with the court due to rule on that in the coming hours.
Imamoglu from the opposition social democratic Republican People's Party (CHP) was arrested on Wednesday by police who raided his home.
Turkish prosecutors early on Sunday called for the official arrest of Imamoglu and four of his aides.
His detention alongside others has sparked public outcry and triggered widespread protests which have spread to more than 55 of Turkey's 81 provinces.
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets since Thursday, including in the metropolis of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, in largely peaceful demonstrations.
On Saturday, Imamoglu's supporters gathered outside the courthouse in Istanbul where he was questioned for five hours. Huge crowds also gathered outside the municipal building, waving Turkish flags and chanting slogans in his support.
Riot police used rubber bullets, pepper spray and percussion grenades on the Istanbul protesters, toughening their methods shortly after midnight.
In the capital Ankara, riot police used water cannon to push back protesters, while in the western coastal city of Izmir police blocked a student march headed towards the local AKP offices.
Following more mass protests late on Saturday, police arrested 323 people, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X.
The crisis badly hurt the lira and caused chaos in Turkey's financial markets with the benchmark BIST 100 index closing Friday nearly 8.0 percent lower.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who hails from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and has been in power for 22 years, has condemned the protests.
He accuses Imamoglu and CHP of trying to "disturb the peace, and polarize our people."
Earlier Saturday, the 53-year-old mayor denied the charges against him, telling police his arrest had "not only harmed Turkey's international reputation but has also shattered the public's sense of justice and trust in the economy".
The popular opposition mayor, who is the biggest political rival of President Erdogan, was arrested just days before he was to be named the main opposition CHP's candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
On Sunday, the CHP pressed ahead with its long-planned primary to name Imamoglu its presidential candidate.
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