Riot police disperse protesters in Istanbul (VIDEO)

Turkish police have used violence to disperse the supporters of opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu

Police officers kicked and punched protesters in Istanbul as they moved to break up a demonstration in support of the arrested mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on Sunday evening.

Large-scale demonstrations continued for a fifth day, despite a ban on rallies in Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city. While some gatherings were peaceful, others descended into clashes with police. 

Officers in riot gear tackled and threw people on the ground outside the city hall. Some officers were filmed kicking protesters and hitting them with batons. 

Imamoglu was detained on Wednesday on the charges of corruption and ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist group in Türkiye. On Sunday, an Istanbul court approved his arrest, after which Imamoglu was suspended from office. He denied any wrongdoing and said that the prosecution was politically motivated.

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Imamoglu ran for vice president in the 2023 presidential election and has been considered the Republican People’s Party (CHP) primary candidate to run for president in 2028.

In a post on X on Sunday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote that some police officers were attacked on the streets. “We will never allow vandalism or threats to the peace and security of our nation,” he warned.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel has denied that the party had made any calls to violence. In his response to Yerlikaya, he wrote, “You will respect the democratic reaction that is the constitutional right of the nation. Any order given against it will be unlawful.”