FILE PHOTO: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), speaks during a rally to protest against the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Ozer, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Thousands of Turks were expected to ramp up protests on Thursday over what they called the undemocratic detention of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu despite a ban on gatherings, police barricades and dozens of detentions over social media posts.
Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, was taken in on Wednesday facing charges of graft and aiding a terrorist group, a move that the opposition condemned as a "coup attempt" and that sparked an initial round of demonstrations.
