https://www.foxnews.com/world/turkey-jails-istanbul-mayor-before-trial-protests-rage-throughout-city
Turkish police pepper spray protesters in Istanbul
Police officers seen pepper spraying protesters as people gathered in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu near the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2025. (Credit: Reuters)
A Turkish court on Sunday jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, pending trial on corruption charges, in a move likely to inflame the country’s biggest protests in more than a decade.
The decision to send Imamoglu to jail comes after the main opposition party, European leaders and tens of thousands of protesters criticized the actions against him as politicized and undemocratic.
As the courtroom developments unfolded, there were signs that the mayor’s troubles were galvanizing opposition against Erdogan’s government, which has run Turkey for 22 years.
Thousands of Republican People’s Party (CHP) members and non-members streamed into polling stations nationwide to…