Massive demonstrations continued for a sixth consecutive day across Turkey following the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chief political rival, as the president accused the opposition of inciting violence and vowed they would be held accountable.
Imamoglu, from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was jailed Sunday pending trial on corruption charges, sparking widespread outcry and prompting hundreds of thousands of protesters to flood the streets in major Turkish cities. Imamoglu and his party insist the charges are politically motivated, a claim Erdogan’s government denies.
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In a speech Monday after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan called the demonstrations a “movement of violence” triggered by opposition provocation.
“As a nation, we followed with surprise the events that emerged after the main opposition leader’s call to take to the streets following an Istanbul-based corruption operation,” Erdogan said. “The main opposition is responsible for our injured police officers, the broken windows of our shopkeepers, and damaged public property. They will be held accountable politically in parliament and legally by the judiciary.”
Earlier, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported 1,133 arrests during protests and stated that 123 police officers had been injured in clashes with demonstrators.
Despite a nationwide ban on public gatherings imposed by Turkish authorities, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel urged continued peaceful protests. Addressing large crowds in Istanbul, Ozel declared the charges against Imamoglu as “baseless” and called for Imamoglu’s trial to be broadcast live. He also challenged Erdogan to a televised debate.