Imamoglu’s office said Turkish prosecutors have asked the court to imprison Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and four of his aides, awaiting trial on allegations of terrorism and corruption.
Imamoglu, the main opposition figure of President Tayyip Erdogan, a potential challenger, was detained on Wednesday to graft and aid allegations of terrorist groups.
He denied the allegations, calling them “unthinkable allegations and defamation.” The court is expected to make a ruling on Imamogru’s detention earlier Sunday.
Under Turkish law, if Imamogru is arrested on terrorism charges, this will allow the government to appoint trustees to the municipality.
On Saturday, thousands of people gathered outside the Istanbul city government and main court buildings, with hundreds of police officers stationed at two locations using tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters as the crowd threw firecrackers and other objects.
The protesters also clashed with the western coast Izmir province and the capital Ankara, where police opened fire in the crowd for the third night in a row.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said earlier Sunday that Turkish authorities detained 323 people during the investigation.
“The damage to public order shall not be allowed,” the minister said in a statement.
The Republican Party of Imamoglu (CHP), the main opposition, condemned the detention center as politically motivated and urged supporters to demonstrate legally.
The government denied any impact on the matter and said the judiciary was independent.
Imamoglu, 54, leads Erdogan in some opinion polls and will be appointed as the official presidential candidate for the Centre for Health Protection within a few days.
Violating a temporary ban on demonstrations, hundreds of people took to the streets to support Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and protested against the Erdogan government.
The next election is scheduled for 2028, but Erdogan has reached presidential restrictions on his term after his previous presidency. If he wants to run again, he must hold early elections or change the constitution.
On Saturday, the president, who has been operating the country for more than 22 years, accused CHP of trying to “provoke our country”, adding that they would not tolerate vandalism.
