Court to rule on mayor's arrest

A TURKISH court was set to rule on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s detention yesterday, after vast crowds rallying in support of him clashed with riot police.

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The Caglayan court was expected to decide whether to charge or release him, his lawyer said, after a fourth night of protests sparked a harsh crackdown in Turkiye’s worst street unrest in over a decade.

The popular opposition mayor, who is the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested last week, just days before he was to be named the main opposition CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race.

He was detained in connection with two probes alleging graft and “aiding a terror organisation” - accusations which he at the weekend told police were “immoral and baseless”.

The move against him sparked protests in Istanbul and have since spread to more than 55 of Turkiye's 81 provinces, sparking running battles with police.