Imamoglu: ‘Immoral charges against me’, protests in Istanbul and clashes as Erdogan accuses Chp

Tensions in Turkey after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, on charges of aiding terrorism and corruption. Demonstrations and clashes with police in several cities. Erdogan attacks the CPC, accusing it of wanting to destabilise the country

Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul, was arrested on charges of aiding terrorism and corruption. During his interrogation, which lasted five hours, Imamoglu called the charges ‘immoral and unfounded’, claiming that the arrest was orchestrated to discredit his image and reputation.

Clashes between protesters and police

Meanwhile, protests against the mayor’s detention erupted near the Istanbul municipality, with thousands of people taking to the streets. The police responded by using tear gas to disperse the protesters, as shown by local media. Tensions also spread near the court, where a group of lawyers and officers came to blows.

Erdogan accuses the CPC of destabilising the country

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the main opposition party, the Chp, of fomenting chaos in Turkey following protests over Imamoglu’s arrest. During a televised speech, Erdogan said: ‘They tried to create tension in our cities by threatening the police force and the judiciary’. The president also labelled the demonstrations as ‘street terrorism’ and promised not to tolerate attempts at destabilisation. ‘Let justice take its course,’ he added, calling on citizens not to support “vandals and fringe leftist groups”.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)