Istanbul's powerful mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, remained in police custody Thursday over graft and terror allegations after his arrest the day before, as his party called for more protests in Turkey's largest city.
Imamoglu of the main opposition CHP is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and his detention came just days before the party was expected to name him as its candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
CHP's leader Ozgur Ozel is expected to address supporters outside Istanbul's City Hall at 1730 GMT on Thursday.
The governor has banned all protests in Istanbul for four days.
Hundreds of police joined the pre-dawn raid on Imamoglu's home in Istanbul on Wednesday.
In protest, Angry supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu gathered outside City Hall late on Wednesday, chanting slogans including "Erdogan, dictator!" and "Government, resign!"
Already facing an array of legal battles, the two-time Istanbul mayor is now under investigation for "aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation" -- namely the banned Kurdish militant group PKK.
He is also being probed for "bribery, extortion, corruption, aggravated fraud, and illegally obtaining personal data for profit as part of a criminal organisation" along with around 100 other suspects.
Source: Input from AFP
