Erdogan hits out at unrest as protests in Turkey continue for sixth night 

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - ANKARA — Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed opposition parties for provoking a "movement of violence" as protests in the country continued for a sixth night.

Unrest began in Istanbul last Wednesday when the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan's main presidential rival, was detained on corruption charges.

Imamoglu said the allegations against him were politically motivated, a claim denied by Erdogan.

Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party's (CHP), said the demonstrations will end on Tuesday, without saying what the next steps would be.

Earlier, Erdogan had labeled the demonstrations "evil" and blamed the opposition for "disturbing the peace of our citizens with provocations".

Speaking from Ankara, Turkey's capital, Erdogan called for the protests to end and said that "instead of responding to allegations", opposition parties had "made the most vile and unlawful statements in our political history for [the last] five days".

On Monday, vehicles carrying water cannons were seen close to the city hall, though protests appeared to be largely peaceful with no repeat of the fierce clashes seen on Sunday.

In figures released before Monday evening's gatherings, the Turkish government said 1,133 people had been arrested since the protests started.

With the CHP apparently ending its rallies in Istanbul, it is unclear if other spontaneous protests will continue.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel spoke to the thousands gathered on Monday night He told the crowd that the demonstration was "an act of defiance against fascism".

Ozel said he would visit Imamoglu in jail in Silivri on Tuesday. He added that the CHP would appeal for him to be released pending trial and for his trial to be shown live on state broadcaster TRT.

Despite being in custody, Imamoglu was confirmed on Monday as the CHP's candidate for Turkey's 2028 presidential election. The vote confirming his candidacy was symbolic as he was the only person running.

He spent Sunday night in jail after being formally arrested and charged with "establishing and managing a criminal organisation, taking bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data and rigging a tender."

He was also also suspended from his post as mayor.

In a post on X over the weekend, Imamoglu said he would "never bow" and criticised his arrest as a "black stain on our democracy".

His wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, was also outside Istanbul's city hall and told demonstrators the "injustice" her husband faced had "struck a chord with every conscience".

These demonstrations have been the largest in Turkey since the Gezi protests of 2013, which began in Istanbul over the demolition of a local park.

They have been largely peaceful, but on Sunday police officers fired water cannons and used pepper spray as clashes unfolded.

Imamoglu was one of more than 100 people detained last week as part of an investigation. Others arrested included politicians, journalists and businessmen.

His arrest does not prevent his candidacy or election as president, but he will not be able to run if he is convicted of any of the charges against him.

Imamoglu is seen as one of the most formidable rivals of Erdogan, who has held office in Turkey for 22 years as both prime minister and president.

His term in office is due to expire in 2028, and under the current rules, he cannot stand again – but he could call an early election or try to change the constitution to allow him to remain in power for longer.

Turkey's Ministry of Justice criticized those connecting Erdogan to the arrests, and insisted on its judicial independence. — BBC