Demonstrators gathered in support of opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu, who says his arrest was politically motivated.

CHP leader calls for former mayor’s release, denounces arrests of protesters in growing clashes over Turkish democracy.

People wave flags of Turkey atop a garbage truck during a rally called by the Republican People's Party (CHP) in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor Ekrem Imanoglu in Maltepe, on the outskirts of Istanbul on March 29, 2025 (Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP)

More than 1,100 people, including some journalists, were detained in protests against Turkish President Erdogan after the arrest of his rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

Hundreds of thousands of Turks protested in Istanbul on Saturday against the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, sustaining the largest demonstrations Turkey has seen in more than a decade.

"I'm not afraid. I will not take a single step back. I am shouting as loud as I can from my dark cell," Imamoglu said

The head of Turkey's main opposition party visited jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Tuesday after six nights of massive protests calling for his release. Imamoglu, arrested on March 19 on corruption charges,

A Turkish court formally jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political opponent, prompting thousands Sunday night to take to the streets across the country in protest.

Dilek Imamoglu, the wife of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, has played a prominent role in the protests and rallies held since his arrest.