Thousands Rally In Istanbul As Erdogan Issues Warning Against Protests Over Mayor's Arrest
HuffPost
Protests erupted across multiple Turkish cities denouncing the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul even as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a stern warning that demonstrations would not be tolerated.
ISTANBUL (AP) — Protests erupted across multiple Turkish cities on Friday as people rallied against the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite the Turkish leader’s stern warning that street protests would not be tolerated.
In Istanbul, police used pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets to push back hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a barricade in front of the city’s historic aqueduct and threw flares, stones and other objects at them.
Police also broke up demonstrations in Ankara, the capital, as well as in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, resorting to forceful measures at times, according to images shown on the private Halk TV. Thousands marched in several other cities calling on the government to resign, the station reported.
At least 97 people were detained nationwide during the protests, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in a dawn raid on his residence on Wednesday over alleged corruption and terror links, escalating a crackdown on opposition figures and dissenting voices. Several other prominent figures, including two district mayors, were also detained.
