The mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was detained after prosecutors accused him of corruption and terrorism. The opposition said the arrest was politically motivated.

Turkish authorities detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – on Wednesday as part of corruption and terrorism investigations. Detention orders were also issued for around 100 others connected to the mayor,

Ekrem Imamoglu, from the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), is seen as one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rivals. Prosecutors accused him of corruption and aiding a terrorist group, calling him a "criminal organisation leader suspect".