Thousands arrested as protesters defy crackdown

Almost 1,500 people have been detained as tens of thousands continued protests in the Turkish capital on Tuesday after the arrest of the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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The biggest protests in Turkey in over a decade erupted last week following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges, a move opposition supporters view as a blatant violation of the rule of law.

Authorities have hit back with a crackdown that has alarmed rights groups, with even journalists who covered the protests arrested in custody by an Istanbul court on Tuesday.

Among them was AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Paris-based news agency.