Massive protests erupt in Turkey over Istanbul mayor’s arrest; over 1,000 detained

Ankara: Massive protests have swept across Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, with authorities detaining more than 1,000 people.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday that 1,133 people had been arrested since protests began five days ago.

Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, was detained last Wednesday, triggering the country’s largest protests in over a decade. On Sunday, a court sentenced him to jail on corruption charges, which he has denied.

Despite restrictions on gatherings in several cities, demonstrations continued for the fifth consecutive night, with tens of thousands participating.

The protests have remained largely peaceful, though Yerlikaya claimed that 123 police officers had been injured. He warned that the government would not allow “spreading terror on the streets.”