Political tensions rise in Turkiye: Imamoglu rejects "baseless" charges
Shafaq News/ Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has rejected allegations of corruption and terrorism after being taken into custody on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, a judicial document cited Imamoglu during his interrogation, where he described the charges against him and his colleagues as "baseless."
The opposition has condemned his arrest as a politically motivated move to silence dissent, labelling it an "attempted coup" amid months of legal pressure on government critics.
Since Wednesday, tens of thousands have taken to the streets in Istanbul, Ankara, and other cities, including university campuses, to protest his detention. "We are here to show our opposition to what is happening," said a protester in Istanbul.
In response, police have arrested demonstrators, used water cannons to disperse crowds, and blocked streets to control the unrest.
On Friday, President Tayyip Erdoğan warned that Turkiye would not tolerate street violence or public disorder as protests continued into their second day.
