For the third evening in a row, large crowds of demonstrators gathered in Turkey's largest city. On Friday, the protests grew in strength, and opposition leaders claimed that more than 300,000 demonstrators had gathered, among other places outside Istanbul's city hall.
The information came from the opposition party CHP's leader Özgür Özel, but has not been confirmed by independent assessors.
Protests were also carried out simultaneously in several other places, as important bridges and streets were closed to avoid gatherings.
Riot Police Attack
Riot police clashed with demonstrators late on Friday evening, according to AFP's reporter on the spot. Pepper spray and rubber bullets were used against demonstrators.
Protests are also being carried out in the city of Izmir in western Turkey, where police have used tear gas and water cannons, according to opposition Halk TV.
Thus, the political crisis in Turkey, which began with the authorities' crackdown on the opposition in raids on Wednesday morning, is escalating.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the authorities will crack down hard on "street terror", and demonstration bans have been issued, as well as warnings about publishing regime-critical comments on social media.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reports that 97 demonstrators have been arrested on Friday.
Protests Spread
The protests have spread from mainly Istanbul to at least 40 of Turkey's 81 provinces, according to calculations by AFP.
Imamoglu, who is expected to be CHP's candidate in the next presidential election, was arrested in the extensive raid in the early hours of Wednesday. He is accused by the authorities of, among other things, supporting a terrorist organization and corruption.
Reports of new arrests came on Friday, including people who had criticized the previous arrests on social media. Istanbul's Bar Association was also shut down, as the authorities accused it of "terror propaganda".
