Updated:
Hundreds of students took to the streets of Istanbul on Thursday, defying a four-day protest ban to condemn the arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The opposition leader and key rival to President Erdogan was detained in a dawn raid on Wednesday, accused of corruption and terror links.
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Despite a four-day ban on demonstrations and road closures imposed by the authorities, hundreds of students and citizens took to the streets of central Istanbul on Thursday to condemn the Arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
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 detained mayor and demanding his immediate release.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have strongly condemned the arrests, accusing Erdogan’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.
Imamoglu’s arrestalong with that of two district mayors, has sparked outrage and raised fresh concerns over democracy in Turkey. The financial markets reacted sharply, with trading temporarily halted to curb panic selling.
