Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered on the streets of Istanbul to protest against the arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was set to be chosen as an opposition candidate to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu, 54, was detained on corruption charges alongside 100 others on 19 March and formally arrested and jailed five days later. Those taking to the streets see his detention as politically motivated, as he was sent to jail on the same day the Republican People’s Party (CHP) was expected to vote him in as their presidential candidate for the 2028 elections. Mr. Erdogan’s government denies these claims, describing the demonstrations as “street terror,” a “disruption of public order,” and “vandalism.” Police have used tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds during five nights of protests, with 323 people detained by Sunday, according to interior minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/why-are-people-protesting-in-turkey-13334828