More protests called after Istanbul mayor's detention

Istanbul's powerful mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, remained in police custody yesterday over graft and terror allegations after being held the day before, as his party called for more protests in Turkey's largest city.

Imamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and his detention came just days before the party was expected to name him as its candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

Financial markets in Turkey fell shortly afterwards in what analysts said indicates investors' serious concerns that the move was politically motivated.

The leader of the main opposition CHP, of which the mayor is a member, was expected to address supporters outside Istanbul's City Hall yesterday evening, a party spokesman said.

University students also planned several demonstrations in the city.

The governor has banned all protests in Istanbul for four days.

Hundreds of police joined the pre-dawn raid on Imamoglu's home in Istanbul on Wednesday, he posted on X before being taken away, with the authorities then blocking access to social networks including messaging app WhatsApp.

Access to the internet and social media was still slow early yesterday.

Thousands of angry protesters gathered outside City Hall late on Wednesday, chanting slogans including "Erdogan, dictator!" and "Government, resign!"

Already facing an array of legal battles, the two-time Istanbul mayor is now under investigation for "aiding and abetting a terrorist organization" - namely the banned Kurdish militant group PKK.

He is also being probed for "bribery, extortion, corruption, aggravated fraud, and illegally obtaining personal data for profit as part of a criminal organization" along with around 100 other suspects.

Meanwhile, Turkish authorities said they detained 37 people over social media posts criticizing the contentious detention of Imamoglu.

Police identified 261 "suspicious account managers," interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said yesterday. The suspects made "provocative statements" on social media platforms, Yerlikaya said, accusing them of inciting hatred and provoking people to commit crimes.

Cybersecurity forces continue conducting "virtual patrols" around the clock, he said.

Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg