Several clashes took place on Friday evening in Istanbul and Izmir (west) between protesters and police during rallies called by the opposition in support of the arrested mayor of Istanbul, as reported by AFP correspondents and Turkish media.
In Istanbul, the police used rubber bullets, while in Izmir, the country’s third-largest city, law enforcement resorted to water cannons, according to images broadcast by local television stations.
The leader of the main opposition party in Turkey, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, stated that 300,000 protesters gathered on Friday evening in Istanbul in support of the city’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested on Wednesday for „corruption” and „terrorism.”
The Turkish opposition called for a "night of democracy" on Friday evening, urging a large demonstration that at least 10,000 people are heading towards to denounce the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, despite warnings from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promised not to give in to "street terror," as reported by AFP and Reuters.
On the third day of protests, demonstrators began to march towards Istanbul's city hall at the call of the Republican People's Party, the main opposition force and the party to which Imamoglu belongs.
Two bridges and several major boulevards leading to the Turkish metropolis' city hall were closed to traffic for 24 hours on Friday.
Calls for protests were made in over 45 cities in Turkey, including Izmir and the capital Ankara, marking a popular protest movement unprecedented since the 2013 uprising in Istanbul.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç described the opposition's repeated calls for demonstrations as "illegal and unacceptable."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the protests on Friday and assured that the country would not yield to "street terror," as reported by dpa and AFP. He accused Imamoglu's party, the CHP (Republican People's Party), of exploiting the investigation as a pretext to plunge the country into chaos.
"Turkey will not surrender to street terror," the president said, stating that opposition-led demonstrations would lead to "a deadlock." "We will not tolerate any disturbance of public order. Just as we did not bow to street terror before, we will not yield to vandalism now," Erdogan affirmed during the Nowruz celebrations in Istanbul.
Imamoglu's arrest on Wednesday triggered nighttime protests in Turkey. Authorities responded with massive security measures and banned gatherings in four major cities, including Istanbul and Ankara.
Tensions escalated on Thursday evening in Istanbul, with police using tear gas and rubber bullets to block protesters heading towards Taksim Square, an emblematic location for dissent movements in recent years.
Police used water cannons and rubber bullets in Ankara on Thursday and again on Friday to disperse protesting students.
Fifty-three people were arrested, and 16 police officers were injured during clashes with demonstrators.
Accused of "corruption" and "terrorism," Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be officially designated as the CHP's presidential candidate in the upcoming elections on Sunday.
According to Turkish media, Ekrem Imamoglu's hearing concluded on Friday afternoon.