Istanbul: A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, accused of corruption and assistance to terrorist activity, the Sozcu TV broadcaster reported on Sunday. The mayor was arrested as part of a corruption investigation, the report said.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Imamoglu was detained on Wednesday. The opposition politician himself stated that he "does not intend to give in" to pressure from the authorities. 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. The opposition views the developments as an attempt to remove one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rivals from the 2028 presidential election.