ANKARA: Turkish authorities have detained 1,133 people across Türkiye since the start of protests five days ago against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday. The detention last Wednesday of Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, has triggered the biggest street protests in Türkiye in more than a decade. On Sunday, a court jailed him, pending trial, on corruption charges that he denies. Despite bans on street gatherings in many cities, the mostly peaceful anti-government demonstrations continued for a fifth consecutive night on Sunday, with hundreds of thousands taking part.
Yerlikaya said 123 police officers had been injured during the protests so far, adding that the government would not allow "the terrorising of the streets". Those detained include nine journalists who covered overnight protests in several cities, the Journalists' Union of Türkiye said on Monday. Imamoglu's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has been calling for protests against the court decision to arrest the mayor, which they label as politicised and undemocratic. — Reuters
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