Hundreds of supporters of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu gathered outside the courthouse where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's opponent was again brought to trial on charges of corruption and terrorism links.
The arrest of the popular opposition leader this week has heightened political tensions and sparked mass protests across Turkey, with demonstrators taking to the streets in cities across the country to voice their discontent.
His arrest is widely seen as a politically motivated attempt to remove Imamoglu from the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 2028. Government officials deny the allegations and say Turkey's courts operate independently.
Although the demonstrations were largely peaceful, a group of protesters trying to break through barricades into Istanbul's main square threw flares, rocks and other objects at police, who responded with pepper spray. Some protesters said they were shot with rubber bullets.
Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters in Ankara.
Earlier, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 343 suspects had been detained during protests in major cities on Friday evening, adding: “We will not show any tolerance to those who try to disturb public order, threaten the peace and security of citizens, sow chaos and provoke.”
Imamoglu was arrested on Wednesday after a dawn raid on his residence on charges of financial crimes and links to Kurdish militants. Dozens of other prominent figures, including two district mayors, were also detained.
Istanbul police used pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets on Friday to push back hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a barricade in front of the city's historic aqueduct, throwing flares, rocks and other objects at officers.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
