Protests resume as Istanbul mayor spends first night in custody on graft, terror charges

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Demonstrators gathered in Istanbul on Thursday, when police detained the city’s powerful mayor in a misconduct and terrorism investigation that the opposition had criticized as a political “coup”.

Acryam Amoglo, who is the central political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained by hundreds of police on Wednesday, four days before the Opposition’s Central CHP candidate for the 2028 race.

The move sent Turkey’s financial markets to a moment, causing a tremendous shock to the Turkish lira, which was trading in the dollar in about 38 Lira on Thursday.

Turkey’s central bank said it would attract its foreign exchange reserves if it needed to stop Lira’s further damage, economists say it had already done so on Wednesday.

Police obstacles remained around Taksim Square and there was a heavy presence of police around the city hall to impose a four -day ban on the protest.

Despite the ban, an AFP representative said, students at Galatsarai University said they were boycotting lectures and several hundred started March March.

Students from Istanbul University, who canceled the degree of Amoglo on Tuesday, also started another day of protest.

This move is important because Turkish law says presidential candidates should have higher education.

In both places, the protesters chanted slogans “shoulder to shoulder against fascism” and “against lawlessness”.

The party spokesman told AFP that CHP chief and opposition leader Ozgur Ozil is expected to address the protesters at the City Hall on Thursday 1730 GMT.

The investigation begins

Local media said more than 80 people were surrounded by raids on Wednesday, and investigators started quizing them early Thursday.

The CHP said that the mayor met his lawyers, but it was not immediately clear when it would be questioned.

Already nominated in the growing list of legal investigations, Amoglo-who was re-elected last year-has been accused of “helping and denying a terrorist organization”-that is, the prohibited Kurdish militant group PK.

He is also investigating 99 other suspects along with 99 other suspects, along with 99 other suspects, along with “acquiring personal data for profit as part of a criminal organization as part of a criminal organization.”

According to online censorship Monitor Free Web Turkey, access to social media and the Internet in Istanbul on Thursday morning was largely limited.

Interior Minister Ali Yarlaikia said that so far 37 people have been detained for posting content online, which was considered “provocative” and further investigation is underway.

Authorities began to stop access to social networks early Wednesday, online services are still slower after a day.

Despite the ban on protests, thousands of people gathered outside the city hall on Wednesday, shouting slogans: “Erdogan, dictator!” And “Government, resignation!”

Response

The move against Amoglo was anger by the CHP as a “rebellion”.

“The only crime of Amogloo was that he was taking the lead in the polls,” party leader Ozil told the mob in a Wednesday night protest.

“His only crime was that he won the hearts of the people,” he said. His only crime was that he would be the next president. “

Under the Constitution, Erdogan – who has been president for more than a decade – cannot re -run in the 2028 race, but they are looking for ways to change the constitution even though they will need opposition support.

Hamesh Jinnar, a senior analyst at Verksk Miplap Risk Consultancy, said that action against Amogloo could damage these plans.

“This can upset the government’s plan to advance the constitutional changes, which will enable Erdogan to run for a third term,” he said.

Erdogan has already changed the constitution to introduce the presidential system after serving as a premiere for 11 years.