Ankara: The initiators of sabotage in Turkey directed against the economy and welfare would be brought to justice, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, last week, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is seen as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival in the 2028 presidential race, was detained on suspicion of having links to an organization involved in corruption, bribery, and aiding terrorism. The prosecutors' request for his arrest in the terrorism probe was rejected. The detention of Istanbul's mayor has sparked mass protests, despite authorities tightening security and banning any rallies or demonstrations in the city through Sunday.

Erdogan stated, "The initiator of any sabotage directed against the Turkish economy and the welfare of the nation will be accountable to the judicial authorities. Those who ambush the brotherhood of the nation will eventually face justice. This is not blind hostility, but a demand for national will," during a speech to the country's parliament.

Erdogan also urged Turkey's opposition to cease what he described as "street terror," asserting that their corruption mechanism had been exposed.