Istanbul
\nTens of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Saturday to protest against the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s main rival, sustaining the largest demonstrations Turkiye has seen in more than a decade.
\nHundreds of thousands have heeded opposition calls and taken to the streets nationwide since Imamoglu was detained last week and then jailed pending trial on graft charges. Protests have been mostly peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people have been detained.
\nThe main opposition Republican People\u2019s Party (CHP), other opposition parties, rights groups and Western powers have all said the case against Imamoglu is a politicised effort to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan.
\nThe government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.
\nTens of thousands waving Turkish flags and banners poured into the sea-front rally grounds at Maltepe on the Asian side of Istanbul for Saturday\u2019s \u201cFreedom for Imamoglu\u201d rally, organised by the CHP.
\n\u201cIf justice is silent, the people will speak,\u201d said one banner held aloft in the crowd.
\n\u201cThe trend of the economy, the trend of justice, law – everything is getting worse. That is why we are here. We say \u2018rights, law and justice\u2019 and we are seeking our rights,\u201d said one CHP supporter who declined to give their name.
\nLast Sunday, the CHP held a primary election to endorse Imamoglu as a candidate for the next presidential election. That is scheduled to be held in 2028, but the CHP is calling for an early election, arguing that the government has lost legitimacy.
\nInterior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said this week that nearly 1,900 people had been detained since the protests began, adding that courts jailed 260 of them pending trial as of Thursday.
\nErdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for over two decades, has dismissed the nationwide protests as a \u201cshow\u201d, warned of legal consequences, and called on the CHP to stop \u201cprovoking\u201d Turks.
\nSince Imamoglu\u2019s detention Turkish financial assets have plunged, prompting the central bank to use reserves to support the lira. The turmoil has sent shockwaves through the private sector.
\nThe government has said the impact would be limited and temporary. The bank said the economy\u2019s core dynamics were unharmed, but it would take further measures if needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Istanbul Tens of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Saturday to protest against the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s main rival, sustaining the largest demonstrations Turkiye has seen in more than a decade. Hundreds of thousands have heeded opposition calls and taken to the streets nationwide since Imamoglu was detained last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-469954","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n