Hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets outside Istanbul City Hall on Sunday night in protest against the arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
A court formally ordered Imamoglu’s arrest on corruption charges earlier on Sunday, placing him in pre-trial detention, a move that has triggered the largest wave of public demonstrations in Turkey in over a decade.
His arrest, which occurred on Wednesday morning, has fueled widespread outrage and intensified fears about democratic backsliding and the erosion of judicial independence under Erdoğan’s government.
“This is not just about Imamoglu — it’s about defending democracy,” chanted protesters, many waving Turkish flags and calling for justice.
Sunday marked the fifth consecutive night of mass protests, with opposition figures warning that the arrest appears politically motivated, aimed at sidelining one of Erdoğan’s strongest challengers ahead of future elections.
The situation continues to escalate, drawing global attention and raising serious questions about Turkey’s commitment to the rule of law and political freedoms.
Sunday’s imprisonment is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major contender from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028.
Government officials reject the accusations and insist that Turkey's courts operate independently.