Turkey's justice minister said on Thursday the decision to arrest Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was based on criminal reports and not linked to the timing of the opposition CHP party's selection of Imamoglu as its presidential candidate.

His arrest this week has sparked widespread protests across Turkey, with demonstrators rallying in multiple cities to voice their opposition.

More than 1,100 people, including some journalists, were detained in protests against Turkish President Erdogan after the arrest of his rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

A lawyer representing jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mehmet Pehlivan, was taken into custody early today.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival -- was arrested over graft and terrorism allegations, a video was shared in social media posts that falsely claimed it showed street protests in the Turkish city.

Popular opposition politician Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been formally arrested and removed as mayor of Istanbul after a court on Sunday ordered his pre-trial detention on corruption charges.

İstanbul University has revoked the diploma of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a move that could prevent him from running in Turkey’s next presidential election scheduled for 2028. Under Turkish law, candidates for the presidency must hold at least a ...