A Turkish court on Sunday jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, pending trial on corruption charges in a move that inflamed the country’s biggest protests in more than a decade.
The decision to send Imamoglu to jail comes after the main opposition party, European leaders and hundreds of thousands of protesters criticized the actions against him as politicized and undemocratic.
A total of 1,133 people have been detained since March 19, when the mayor was arrested at his home, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. As many as 123 police officers were injured in the protests, he said adding that dangerous materials such as acid, firebombs and knives were seized.
As the courtroom developments unfolded, there were signs that Imamoglu’s troubles were galvanizing opposition against Erdogan’s government, which has run Turkey for 22 years.
Nearly 15 million Republican People’s Party (CHP) members and non-members, who made up the vast majority, streamed into polling stations nationwide to either elect or endorse Imamoglu as its candidate in a future presidential vote, the party said.
The non-member vote — more than 13 million, according to the CHP — could indicate that Imamoglu, 54, enjoys wide public support beyond the party faithful. The party’s chairman said it showed the need for early elections.
