Turkish authorities have detained 343 people during overnight protests in several cities against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.
Riot police use water cannons to disperse university students during a protest against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Ankara, Turkey, March 21, 2025. Reuters/Cagla Gurdogan
Turkish authorities have detained 343 people during overnight protests in several cities against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.
Demonstrations took place in more than a dozen cities including Turkey's biggest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara, the ministry said in a statement.
It said the detentions were made to prevent “disrupting of public order” and warned that authorities would not tolerate “chaos and provocation.”
Tens of thousands of Turks have taken to the streets in mostly peaceful demonstrations since Wednesday, when Imamoglu was detained on charges such as graft and aiding a terrorist group. He is President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival who leads him in some opinion polls.
The mayor's Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition, condemned the move as politically motivated and urged supporters to demonstrate lawfully.
By Nick Sandero
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Syria’s self-declared interim president and leader of the Islamist coalition that overthrew Bashar al-Assad last December, is set to visit Turkey on Friday, a move signaling Ankara's growing involvement in post-war Syria.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar paid a rare official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, where he met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron was received with full honors by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi at Ittihadia Palace on Monday, marking the start of a three-day official visit focused on bilateral relations and regional security, particularly the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.