Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Istanbul to protest the arrest of the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, Reuters reported.
There were also demonstrations in other parts of the country. Hundreds of thousands have heeded the opposition's calls and taken to the streets since Imamoglu was detained and then jailed awaiting trial on corruption charges. The protests were mostly peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people were detained.
The Republican People's Party (CHP), other opposition forces, human rights groups and Western powers have said the case against Imamoglu is a politicized effort to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan. The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.
Tens of thousands, waving Turkish flags and banners, poured into the waterfront rally grounds in Maltepe on the Asian side of Istanbul under the slogan "Freedom for Imamoglu".
A week earlier, the Republican People's Party held primary elections to endorse Imamoglu as its candidate for the next presidential election. Elections are due in 2028, but the party is pushing for an early vote, arguing that the government has lost legitimacy.
Recep Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than two decades, has described the nationwide protests as a show and called on the CHP to stop "provoking" Turks.