Fierce protests in Turkiye over Istanbul mayor's arrest

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in demonstrations across Turkiye after the main rival to the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was formally arrested and charged with corruption, the BBC reported. 

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was due to be selected as the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 2028 presidential nominee in a vote on Sunday.

In response to his arrest, Sunday night saw a ramping up of the worst unrest the country has seen in more than a decade - with protesters fired upon with tear gas and rubber bullets, according to the BBC. 

Imamoglu said the allegations against him are politically motivated. "I will never bow," he wrote on X before he was remanded in custody.

Erdogan has condemned the demonstrations and accused the CHP of trying to "disturb the peace and polarise our people".

Crowds amassed near Istanbul's city hall by early evening on Sunday for a fifth night, and could be seen waving Turkish flags and chanting in front of a row of riot police.

Officers were seen firing water cannons at some protesters and using pepper spray.

In total, rallies took place in at least 55 of Turkey's 81 provinces, or more than two-thirds of the country, according to a tally by French news agency AFP.

Imamoglu was one of more than 100 people, including other politicians, journalists and businessmen, detained as part of an investigation on Wednesday.

He was formally arrested on Sunday and charged with "establishing and managing a criminal organisation, taking bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data and rigging a tender".

He was remanded in custody pending trial.

Some 15 million people voted in Sunday's primary to choose a presidential candidate for Turkey's opposition CHP party, said the vote's organisers, Istanbul City Hall, France24 reported.

"Out of 15 million votes, 13,211,000 (non-party members) expressed their solidarity" with Ekrem Imamogu, the imprisoned opposition figure now suspended as Istanbul's mayor.

Observers said it was the looming primary that triggered the move against Imamoglu, widely seen as the only politician capable of challenging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The CHP said the protests will continue every day this week.