Protesters in Turkey a rally for justice after the mayor's arrest

The protests raged for the fourth night in Turkey after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, part of the largest demonstrations that the country has been watching for more than a decade.

Ekrem Imamoglu, a rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday, days before he was elected presidential candidate in 2028.

Imamoglu appeared in court in Istanbul on Saturday after being accused of corruption and supporting terrorist groups. He denied the allegations.

In a speech on Saturday, Erdogan repeated his condemnation of the excitement and accused the opposition People's Party of Imamoglu (CHP) for trying to “break peace and to polarize our people.”

Outside the mayor in Istanbul, before the protests even started properly, tear gas hung in the air.

As the crowds were growing throughout the evening, it became difficult to breathe as the circle was fired to scatter the protesters.

Singing “rights, law, justice”, people of all ages opposed the government ban on gatherings to protest what they consider illegal detention.

A young woman dressed in black and dressed in a face mask told the BBC that she did not protest for political reasons or because she supported the opposition, but instead defended democracy.

“I'm here for justice, I am here for freedom. We are free people and Turkish people cannot accept this. It is against our behavior and culture.”

Another woman who had brought her 11-year-old son to the protests said she wanted to bring him because she was worried about his future.

“It is becoming more difficult to live in Turkey every day, we cannot control our lives. We cannot choose who we want and there is no real justice here.”

Much is said that no one who BBC says that it feels comfortable to give their name or show their face.

Many on the streets on Saturday night, admiring arrest themselves, told the BBC that they were fighting for a future they could believe in.

In Ankara and Izmir, police deployed water cannons against protesters.

Over the last four nights, thousands have taken to the streets through Turkey to a large extent calm demonstrations.

Authorities tried to stifle the street demonstrations with a four -day ban on all gatherings in Istanbul, which was expanded to Ankara and Izmir as the protests spread across the country.

As of Thursday, Riot police have repeatedly encountered protesters and can be seen shooting pepper gas and water cannons to crowds of demonstrators.

Turkish authorities said 343 people were arrested on Friday night, the third day of protests, across the country.

Imamoglu is seen as one of Erdogan's most fearing political rivals. He is the only person to take place in the selection of the CHP presidential candidate to be held on Sunday.

However, on Wednesday, he was one of more than 100 people, including other politicians, journalists and businessmen detained as part of an investigation.

The day before its arrest, the University of Istanbul announced that it canceled the degree of Imamoglu due to suspected irregularities, a measure – which, if supported, would put his ability to rule as president.

According to the Turkish constitution, presidents must have completed higher education to hold a position.

Erdogan has been a position for the last 22 years, both Prime Minister and President of Turkey. However, due to the limits of the time limit, it cannot be re -ranked for position in 2028, unless the Constitution changed.

Opposition figures say the arrests are politically motivated. But the Ministry of Justice criticizes those who associate Erdogan with arrests and demand their judicial independence.