Erdoğan describes demonstrations as 'violent movement' following the arrest of over 1000 people in Turkey.

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Protests have erupted in Türkiye over the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says protests have become a “movement of violence”.
Officials say 1,133 protesters have been arrested.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says protests over the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor have become a “movement of violence” and that the main opposition party will be held accountable for injured police officers and damage to property.

The detention last Wednesday of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival, has triggered the biggest street protests in Türkiye in more than a decade.

On Sunday, a court jailed him, pending trial, on corruption charges that he denies.

Imamoglu’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and its supporters say the charges against him are politically motivated and undemocratic, which Erdogan’s government denies.

Despite a ban imposed on street gatherings in many cities, the mostly peaceful anti-government demonstrations continued for a fifth consecutive night on Sunday, with hundreds of thousands taking part and the CHP’s leader Ozgur Ozel calling for the protests to continue.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said the CHP should stop “provoking” citizens.

“As a nation, we followed with surprise the events that emerged after the main opposition leader’s call to take to the streets following an Istanbul-based corruption operation turned into a movement of violence,” the 71-year-old president said.

“The main opposition is responsible for our (injured) police officers, the broken windows of our shopkeepers and the damaged public property. They will be held accountable for all this, politically in parliament and legally by the judiciary.”

A man in a suit and tie walks towards a dais with Turkish flag in the background.

Ekrem Imamoglu had been expected to challenge Türkiye’s current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the next presidential election in the country. Source: Getty / dia images

Earlier, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya accused some protesters of “terrorising” the streets and threatening national security.

He said 1,133 people had been detained during five days of protests and that 123 police officers had been injured.

A CHP delegation met Istanbul’s governor to discuss the police crackdown on the protesters.

The party’s Istanbul head Ozgur Celik said the police actions on Sunday night had been the most violent so far, with many protesters being hospitalised.

Imamoglu, 54, was jailed pending trial on Sunday, as the CHP held a primary election to name him presidential candidate.

About 15 million votes were cast in support of the mayor.

News of Imamoglu’s arrest covered the front pages of Turkish newspapers on Monday, with opposition media suggesting the mayor was arrested for being the most credible challenger to Erdogan.

The mayor’s supporters said the jailing of Imamoglu demonstrated a lack of justice in Türkiye.

“I think there is an injustice committed against Imamoglu. They put the man in prison for no reason,” said Adem Bali, a 22-year-old construction worker.

Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than two decades and faces no immediate tests at the ballot box, said the events of the past few days showed that the CHP was not fit to run local municipalities, let alone the country.