Turkish authorities have arrested 1,133 people in five days of nationwide protests, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Tuesday.
The protests erupted after Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday on corruption charges.
Imamoglu has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, a claim Erdogan denies.
Yerlikaya issued a stern warning to demonstrators, stating, “The terrorisation of our streets and the threat to the peace and security of our nation will absolutely not be tolerated.”
Despite the unrest, Imamoglu was confirmed as his party’s candidate for the 2028 presidential election following a symbolic primary vote on Monday. He spent Sunday night in jail and is set to stand trial.
The arrests signal a growing crackdown on dissent as tensions rise between opposition supporters and the government.
