Erdogan rival arrested days before becoming presidential candidate

Starting in Turkiye, which is seeing widespread protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and potential presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu.

On Wednesday local time, Turkiye authorities detained Imamoglu on charges of corruption and alleged links to terrorist organizations.

The arrest comes just days before the Republican People's Party primaries, where Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was anticipated to be nominated as the presidential candidate for the 2028 elections.

Imamoglu's party has denounced the detention as a "coup," arguing that it is politically motivated to undermine the opposition.

In response to the arrest, thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in Istanbul and Ankara to protest what they see as a violation of democratic processes.

The Turkiye government has refuted allegations linking Imamoglu's detention to President Erdogan.