Istanbul mayor testifies in court as protesters across Turkey defy ban on gatherings
By Ipek Yezdani, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Isil Sariyuce , CNN
(CNN) — Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu faced questioning in court on Saturday by prosecutors over allegations of corruption and terrorism ties after his detention by Turkish authorities earlier this week sparked protests across the country.
A large crowd of supporters gathered peacefully outside Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul as Imamoglu, a key political rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, arrived for his hearing.
Prosecutors asked the court to jail Imamoglu and four of his aides pending a trial, his office said, according to the Reuters news agency. The court is expected to rule on the mayor’s detention early Sunday.
Thousands of protesters also gathered outside the Istanbul municipal building in Sarachane, waving Turkish flags and chanting slogans, defying a ban on street gatherings in the city which has been extended until March 26.
Turkish authorities detained Imamoglu on Wednesday as part of corruption and terrorism investigations. Detention orders were also issued for about 100 others connected to the mayor, including his press adviser Murat Ongun, according to state-run news agency Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. His party says the charges are politically motivated.
Addressing crowds in Istanbul on Saturday, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader, Ozgur Ozel, said “If “Erdogan gives an illegal order, what should a police chief do?”
“There are millions of people who are not afraid of him,” he said, referring to Erdogan, and called on protesters to stand “together for the young people, for Istanbul, for Ekrem İmamoğlu” and other detainees.
Erdogan warned in a late Saturday post on X that “No one in Turkey is outside the scope of the law.” He added a direct warning to CHP: “We will definitely not allow CHP and its supporters to disrupt public order with provocations and disturb the peace of our nation.”
Turkish authorities detained 343 people during mass protests in several cities over Imamoglu’s detention overnight into Saturday.
The protests across major cities, which began on Thursday, were largely peaceful, with tens of thousands of demonstrators defying a ban on protests to take to the streets against Imamoglu’s detention.
“Those who disrupt social order, threaten the peace and security of our nation, and seek chaos and provocation will never be given an opportunity and will definitely not be tolerated! ” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement on Saturday.
On Friday, social media videos and local media outlets in Turkey showed police in Istanbul and the capital Ankara firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse protesters.
The Turkish interior ministry said Friday at least 16 police officers were injured during clashes with protesters across Turkey since the eruption of protests.
Violent clashes between opposition supporters and state security forces in several Turkish cities persisted for 48 hours, but protests on Saturday have been largely peaceful.
Erdogan has dismissed opposition anger as “theatrics” and “slogans” for which Turkey has no time.
Imamoglu was elected mayor in 2019 and again in 2024. The next presidential vote is scheduled for 2028, but some analysts say Erdogan could call for early elections, which would allow him to bypass term limits.
The-CNN-Wire
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