Sixth night of protests in Turkey as Erdogan hits out at unrest

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed opposition parties for provoking a "movement of violence" as protests in the country continued for a sixth night.

Unrest began in Istanbul last Wednesday when the city's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - Erdogan's main political rival - was detained on corruption charges.

Imamoglu said the allegations against him were politically motivated, a claim Erdogan has denied.

Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party's (CHP), which announced Imamoglu as its presidential candidate on Sunday, said the demonstrations will end on Tuesday, without saying what the next steps would be.

Erdogan has labelled the demonstrations "evil" and blamed the opposition for "disturbing the peace of our citizens with provocations".

Speaking from Ankara, Turkey's capital, Erdogan called for the protests to end and said that "instead of responding to allegations", opposition parties had "made the most vile and unlawful statements in our political history for [the past] five days".

On Monday, vehicles carrying water cannons were seen close to the city hall, though protests appeared to be largely peaceful with no repeat of the fierce clashes seen on Sunday.

Lydia, one of the demonstrators, told AFP that the Turkish authorities were "hunting us like pests", adding: "They sprayed pepper spray on us like insecticides."

Young people - many of whom may not know any other government than this one under Erdogan - have played an important role in the protests.

They have differing political views and do not appear to be affiliated with a particular political movement at the protests. They are rallying against the government, but they do not hesitate to criticise the opposition as well.

Asked if she is afraid of the potential repercussions of demonstrating, one woman told the BBC: "There is nothing left to lose."

Another, a 25-year-old woman who attended Sunday's protest, said she was afraid before - "but now I'm just angry".

In figures released before Monday evening's gatherings, the Turkish government said 1,133 people had been arrested since the protests began.

With the CHP apparently ending its rallies in Istanbul, it is unclear if other spontaneous protests will continue.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel spoke to the thousands gathered on Monday night, telling the crowd that the demonstration was "an act of defiance against fascism".

Ozel said he would visit Imamoglu in jail in Silivri on Tuesday. He added that the CHP would appeal for him to be released pending trial, and for his trial to be shown live on state broadcaster TRT.

• Why are people protesting in Turkey?
• Turkey protests are about far more than fate of Istanbul's mayor

Imamoglu was confirmed as the CHP's candidate for Turkey's 2028 presidential election on Monday, despite being in custody. The selection vote was symbolic as he had been the only person running.

He had spent the previous night in jail after being formally arrested and charged with "establishing and managing a criminal organisation, taking bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data and rigging a tender". He was also suspended from his post as mayor.

Prosecutors had also accused him of "aiding an armed terrorist organisation", but this was not included in the charges.

Before he was detained, Istanbul University said it was revoking Imamoglu's degree. If upheld, it would throw his presidential run into question, as the Turkish constitution requires presidents to have completed higher education.

In a post on X over the weekend, Imamoglu said he would "never bow" and criticised his arrest as a "black stain on our democracy".

His wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, told demonstrators outside Istanbul's city hall that the "injustice" her husband faced had "struck a chord with every conscience".

Much of the protesters' anger is directed at Erdogan and his government.

"I don't know what he did 20 years ago, but nowadays, he is just a dictator," Irmak, a 22-year-old university student, told the BBC World Service at a demonstration in the Sarachane area of Istanbul.

Irmak and her friends, Ozge and Elif, said they had activated the location sharing feature on their phones, as they fear being detained by police.

These demonstrations have been the largest in Turkey since the Gezi protests of 2013, which began in Istanbul over the demolition of a local park.

They have been largely peaceful, but on Sunday police officers fired water cannons and used pepper spray as clashes unfolded.

"We are the fruits of the trees of the Gezis," Irmak said. "We are here to protect democracy. It's not just about Ekrem Imamoglu - it's about Turkey's democracy."

Imamoglu was one of more than 100 people detained last week as part of an investigation. Others arrested included politicians, journalists and businessmen.

"We are not accepting this injustice," Mustafa, among the protesters, told the BBC. "We want democracy and we want our friends back because Imomoglu is not the only one behind the bars right now."

He added: "We want to re-establish democracy in this country and we want to save the republic from this authoritarian populist regime. And for the short term, we just want our mayor back, we want our friends back."

Imamoglu's arrest does not prevent his candidacy or election as president, but he will not be able to run if he is convicted of any of the charges against him.

The opposition mayor is seen as one of the most formidable rivals of Erdogan, who has held office in Turkey for 22 years as both prime minister and president.

Erdogan's term in office is due to expire in 2028, and under the current rules, he cannot stand again – but he could call an early election or try to change the constitution to allow him to remain in power for longer.

Turkey's Ministry of Justice has criticised those connecting Erdogan to the arrests, and insisted on its judicial independence.

Additional reporting by Isabella Bull