A Turkish court on Sunday sent Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to jail pending trial, which is likely to further intensify anti-government protests across the country.
Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, who is a key rival of President Erdogan and an expected candidate for the presidential election, was produced in a Turkish court today on Sunday, and the court has ordered the Istanbul mayor to be sent to jail until the outcome of his trial on corruption charges.
Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu has called the allegations of political opponents slander, and Imamoglu has appealed to supporters not to lose hope.
He said that he would not give up, and has vowed to defeat Erdogan.
The ruling party has reacted to the court decision in the corruption case, saying that the courts are independent and that the opposition party should be warned.
According to media reports, protests in favor of the Istanbul mayor are likely to intensify and the situation will become more tense after the court ruling.
Read also: Turkish police clash with protesters over Istanbul Mayor’s detention
A series of protests have been going on in various places in Turkey for the past four days against the arrest of the Istanbul mayor.
Hundreds of people have been detained following the nationwide anti-government protests.
