Pro-democracy demonstrators return to Istanbul’s streets for huge rally

Hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have returned to the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, in support of the city’s jailed mayor.

Ekrem Imamoglu, who is seen as the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on corruption charges last week, sparking mass protests.

He denies the charges and claims his arrest is politically motivated.

Saturday’s crowds were so large that they spilled from the site of the protest into a neighbouring park. The chairman of Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) addressed demonstrators, reading out a letter from the jailed politician who is being held in solitary confinement.

“I have no fear, you are behind me and by my side. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor,” the letter said according to Reuters.

Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek, was also at the protest and told the crowd: “We will keep fighting and fighting.”

Protesters waved Turkey’s red-and-white flags and chanted: “Rights, law, justice!”

Imamoglu has served as Istanbul’s mayor since 2019 and won a resounding victory in mayoral elections last year.

He has been named as the CHP’s candidate for the presidential election due in 2028 and is widely viewed as the only politician capable of challenging Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party at the ballot box.

Erdogan has been in power for more than two decades, first as prime minister then as president from 2014. He cannot run again for the presidency after 2028 – unless he changes Turkey’s constitution.

A series of mass pro-democracy protests have wracked the country since Imamoglu’s arrest more than week ago.

While Saturday’s demonstration was peaceful, some earlier protests faced heavy-handed police tactics who fired teargas and rubber bullets.

Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested including some journalists who had been covering the protests.

That includes BBC correspondent Mark Lowen who was deported after the state claimed he lacked the correct press accreditation.

Erdogan has claimed the protests amount to “street terrorism”, and accused demonstrators of attacking the police and damaging public property.

There are concerns that Imamoglu will not face a free and fair trial when his case is heard in court.

The government has denied Imamoglu’s arrest was politically motivated and insists the Turkish courts are fully independent.