Tens of thousands of people took part in a rally Wednesday in İstanbul to support the city’s jailed mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has become the figurehead of an opposition campaign against the government.
The demonstration was one of the biggest in recent weeks and came as the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) sought to relaunch its effort for İmamoğlu who was detained in March.
“Our struggle is the struggle for democracy, for freedom,” CHP leader Özgür Özel told the rally.
İmamoğlu, who was detained on March 19 on corruption charges which he strongly denies, is seen as the biggest rival to longtime leader President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The arrest could stop İmamoğlu taking part in presidential election scheduled for 2028.
In the days after İmamoğlu’s arrest tens of thousands of people took part in near daily protests. But numbers had dwindled in recent weeks.
The latest protest was held outside Istanbul University that had stripped İmamoğlu of his degree the day before his arrest.
“We have come here today to take back his diploma,” Özel told the crowd.
He said that a petition demanding the release of İmamoğlu and for immediate elections had secured 14.8 million signatures nationwide.
© Agence France-Presse