Mass demonstrations are continuing in Turkey, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been arrested on corruption charges. Since protests broke out last week, Turkish authorities have detained more than 1,400 people, including students and journalists. İmamoğlu is the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election and was recently nominated for president by the Republican People’s Party. Erdoğan has led the country since 2003, but his popularity has dropped in recent years amid increasingly authoritarian policies cracking down on dissent. “Everyone knows that this is politically motivated and that Erdoğan is scared that he’s not going to win against Ekrem İmamoğlu,” says Turkish political scientist Ezgi Başaran.
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