According to Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, a total of 1,133 people have been arrested across the country during five days of ongoing protest demonstrations. At least 10 journalists have also been arrested in Istanbul and Izmir.
The protests began following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul city. He was considered the main rival of the current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming presidential elections to be held in 2028. İmamoğlu was charged with corruption, and in the investigation, over 100 other individuals were also arrested.
Later, İmamoğlu was formally charged with corruption and arrested. He has described the charges as politically motivated, while Erdoğan has denied these allegations.
Yesterday, İmamoğlu was officially endorsed by the opposition Republican People's Party as their candidate for the 2028 presidential elections. He remains in custody at this time.
