The protesters in Türkiye meet for justice ‘after the mayor’s arrest

The protests have gone for the fourth night in Istanbul after the arrest of the mayor of the city, part of the greatest demonstrations that Türkiye has seen in more than a decade.

Ekrem Imamoglu, rival of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on Wednesday, days before being selected as a 2028 presidential candidate.

Imamoglu appeared in an Istanbul court on Saturday accused of corruption and helping terrorist groups. He has denied accusations.

In a speech on Saturday, Erdogan repeated his sentence for the disturbances and accused the Republican Party (CHP) of Imamogl’s opposition of trying to “disturb peace and polarize our people.”

Outside the mayor’s office in Istanbul, before the protests began properly, the tear gas hung in the air.

As the crowds had grown overnight, it became difficult to breathe when a round was shot to disperse the protesters.

Singing “rights, laws, justice”, people of all ages challenged a prohibition of the government government to protest against what they see as an illegal detention.

A young woman, dressed in black and with a mask, told the BBC that she did not protect for political reasons or because she supports the opposition, but to defend democracy.

“I am here for justice, I am here for freedom. We are free people and Turkish people cannot accept this. This is against our behavior and culture.”

Another woman, who had brought her 11 -year -old son to protests, said she wanted to bring him since she is worried about her future.

“It is becoming more difficult to live in Türkiye day by day, we cannot control our lives, we cannot choose who we want and there is no real justice here.”

It is very revealing that no one with whom the BBC spoke felt comfortable giving its name or showing its face.

Many on the streets on Saturday night, challenging the arrest, told the BBC that they were fighting for a future in which they could believe.

During the last four nights, thousands have taken to the streets through Türkiye in largely peaceful demonstrations.

The authorities tried to suffocate the street demonstrations with a four -day ban on all meetings in Istanbul, which extended to Ankara and Izmir as the protests extended throughout the country.

Since Thursday, the riot police have been repeatedly faced with protesters and could be seen shooting pepper and water cannons to multitudes of protesters.

The Turkish authorities said that 343 people were arrested Friday night, the third day of protests, throughout the country.

Imamoglu is seen as one of Erdogan’s most formidable political rivals. He is the only person who executes in the selection of presidential candidates of the CHP, which will take place on Sunday.

However, on Wednesday, it was one of the more than 100 people, including other politicians, journalists and businessmen, arrested as part of an investigation.

A day before his arrest, the University of Istanbul announced that he was revoking the title of Imamoglu due to the alleged irregularities, a measure, which, if confirmed, would put his ability to question his capacity as president.

According to the Turkish Constitution, the presidents must have completed higher education to hold a position.

Erdogan has held a position during the last 22 years, as prime minister and president of Türkiye. However, due to the deadline limits, it cannot be applied again in office in 2028 unless the Constitution changes.

Opposition figures say arrests are politically motivated. But the Ministry of Justice has criticized those who link Erdogan with arrests and insist on their judicial independence.