Despite a four-day ban on demonstrations and road closures imposed by authorities, thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul on Thursday to condemn the arrest of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Clashes with security forces were reported as police tried to disperse the crowds. Similar protests erupted in other cities across Turkey, with demonstrators chanting slogans in support of the mayor and demanding his immediate release.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have strongly condemned the arrest, accusing Erdoğan's government of using the judicial system as a tool to silence dissent. Many international observers have also expressed concern over the state of democracy in Turkey, warning that such actions could further erode political freedoms.
İmamoğlu's arrest, along with that of two district mayors, has sparked outrage and raised fresh concerns over democracy in Turkey.
