00:00The leader of Turkey's main opposition, the Republican People's Party, CHP, has renewed
00:05calls for supporters to take to the streets to peacefully protest the arrest of Istanbul
00:09Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
00:12Imamoglu was arrested in a dawn raid of his residence on Wednesday over alleged corruption
00:16and links to terror groups.
00:18Many view the arrest as a politically driven attempt to remove a popular opposition figure
00:22and key challenger to President Erdogan in the next presidential race set for 2028.
00:28Erdogan denies any involvement in the legal probe, insisting that Turkish courts operate
00:33freely and independently.
00:35Since his arrest, thousands of people have gathered at Istanbul's City Hall, the designated
00:39office of the mayor, calling for his release.
00:43Clashes have erupted between protesters and police in Istanbul and also in the capital
00:47Ankara.
00:48A five-day ban on protests was instated in Ankara after protesters clashed with police
00:53on a university campus, where tear gas and water cannons were deployed to disperse the
00:57crowds.
00:58But despite this, CHP leader Özgür Özel is urging people to exercise their constitutional
01:04right and continue participating in peaceful demonstrations.
