Istanbul authorities announced restrictions on entry and exit from the province amid ongoing protests in the city.
Istanbul authorities said, “Entry into and out of Istanbul will be prohibited for individuals, groups, and vehicles who may engage in illegal activities, individually or collectively.”
Authorities did not specify what procedures would be in place to assess the likelihood of individuals participating in the protests, as of Monday morning.
Protests in support of the detained Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), have continued since March 20 in Saraçane Square near the city hall, as well as in several other Turkish cities.
Turkish media reported on Sunday that Istanbul’s Çağlayan Court ordered the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Sunday, a corruption suspect, but rejected a request for his arrest in a second terrorism case. Along with İmamoğlu, several senior officials from the city council were arrested, totaling more than 90 people implicated in the corruption case.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, in turn, intends to appeal the decision to reject İmamoğlu’s arrest in the terrorism case, according to Sabah newspaper. İmamoğlu and the other defendants have the right to appeal.
According to Halk TV, İmamoğlu has the right to appeal the court’s decision to arrest him. Sabah newspaper reported that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, in turn, intends to appeal the court’s decision to reject İmamoğlu’s arrest in the terrorism case. Only the Constitutional Court has the final and indisputable authority to make a final decision.
Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, commenting on İmamoğlu’s arrest, stated that the opposition was trying to exert political pressure on the police and judiciary.
The Turkish Presidential Administration described İmamoğlu’s arrest as “baseless slander” against Erdoğan, due to the arrest of İmamoğlu, who is considered the main rival to the current president in the potential early presidential elections.
