What is going on in Türkiye after the arrest of Istanbul mayor?

Thousands of Turks took part in demonstrations called by the opposition on Friday evening under the slogan “A Night for Democracy” to denounce the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara wouldn’t succumb to “street terrorism”.

On the third day of protests, demonstrators descended on the Istanbul Municipality building at the invitation of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the main opposition party to which İmamoğlu, who has been detained since Wednesday, belongs.

The demonstrators chanted, “Don’t be silent, or your turn will come soon,” holding up signs reading, “Don’t be afraid, the people are here” and “Right, law, justice”.

The Turkish opposition announced on Friday evening that the number of demonstrators in Istanbul had reached 300,000.

“We’re 300,000 people,” said Özgür Özel, leader of the Republican People’s Party, outside the Istanbul municipality building where protesters gathered.

He added that demonstrators had gathered in several locations in Türkiye’s largest city due to road and bridge closures that prevented people from congregating in one place.

On Friday, two bridges and several main roads leading to the Istanbul Municipality headquarters were closed to traffic for 24 hours.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, is considered a popular figure, as he’s Erdogan’s biggest rival, was arrested on suspicion of corruption and terrorism early Wednesday, just days before the Republican People’s Party (CHP) officially nominated him to run in the 2028 presidential election.

Calls for demonstrations were issued in more than 45 cities across the country, including Izmir and the capital, Ankara, amid popular protests unprecedented since the massive Gezi protests in Istanbul in 2013.

“Wherever you are, leave your homes, gather with everyone you can and walk together,” Özel said.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out on Friday evening in Istanbul and Izmir between demonstrators and police.

Police used rubber bullets in Istanbul, while in Izmir, the country’s third-largest city, police used water cannons, according to footage broadcast by local television.

For his part, the Turkish president said on Friday that “Türkiye won’t succumb to street terrorism,” noting that the opposition-led protests will lead to a dead end”.

In total, protests have taken place since Wednesday in at least 32 of Türkiye’s 81 provinces,.

Özel warned the president that the opposition intends to continue its protests.

“From now on, no one should expect the CHP to conduct its political work in halls or buildings… We’ll be in the streets and squares,” he said outside the Istanbul Municipality building on Thursday evening, where thousands of protesters gathered for the second night in a row in support of the city’s mayor.

In contrast, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç warned on Friday in a post on X that the call for a demonstration was “illegal and unacceptable”.

Istanbul, where gatherings were officially banned until Sunday, saw tensions, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas on Thursday night during clashes with students near the city hall.

In Ankara, riot police used pepper spray, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse a student demonstration on Thursday and Friday.

Police arrested 53 people and injured 16 officers during clashes with protesters.

Authorities also banned all gatherings until Tuesday evening in Ankara and Izmir.

Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that İmamoğlu’s interrogation ended on Friday afternoon.

Istanbul University invalidated İmamoğlu’s diploma on Tuesday, adding another obstacle to his bid, as the Turkish constitution requires any presidential candidate to hold a higher education degree.

The charges against İmamoğlu, particularly “terrorism,” have raised concerns among his supporters that he could be imprisoned after his police detention ends on Sunday and replaced by a state-appointed official.

“Mayor Ekrem isn’t involved in corruption or terrorism… He is neither a thief nor a terrorist,” Özel told protesters outside the Istanbul municipality building on Thursday evening.

He continued, addressing Erdoğan, “I didn’t fill this square and these streets… You did… They are full thanks to you”.

Meanwhile, around 90 people were arrested in conjunction with the arrest of the Istanbul mayor, and they remained in detention on Friday, according to Turkish press reports.

İmamoğlu’s arrest triggered a sharp collapse in Turkish financial markets and dealt a heavy blow to the local currency.

The Istanbul Bar Association’s president and board members, who were being prosecuted on charges of “terrorist propaganda” and “disseminating false information,” were removed from their posts on Friday, pursuant to a court ruling published by a lawyers’ association.

The Turkish judiciary is holding them accountable for demanding an investigation into the killing of two Turkish Kurdish journalists in Syria at the end of December after they were targeted by a Turkish drone, according to a non-governmental organization.

The incident occurred in an area where pro-Turkish factions were clashing with Kurdish fighters.