Turkish court jails Istanbul mayor pending trial

A Turkish court jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 23 pending trial, state media and other broadcasters said, in a move likely to stoke the country's biggest protests in more than a decade.

- 

ISTANBUL -

Imamoglu, a key opposition figure and potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on March 19 on charges such as graft and aiding a terrorist group.

The decision to send Imamoglu to jail comes after the main opposition party, European leaders and tens of thousands of protesters criticised the actions against him as politicised and undemocratic.

Imamoglu has denied the charges, calling them "unimaginable accusations and slanders".

"I am standing tall, I will never bow down," Imamoglu said on X, calling on supporters not to lose hope. "We will rip away this coup, this dark stain on our democracy all together."

The government denied that investigations are politically motivated and said the courts are independent. It has warned against protests. A nationwide ban on street gatherings was extended on March 22 for four more days.