An Istanbul court has sentenced Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to prison on corruption charges, issuing an arrest warrant following his detention on Wednesday.

According to international media reports, shortly after the court’s ruling, Turkiye’s Interior Ministry officially removed Imamoglu from his position as mayor of Istanbul.

Foreign news agencies also report that Imamoglu has faced allegations related to terrorism; however, his arrest was solely based on financial misconduct charges.

Following the verdict, Imamoglu called on his supporters to stage nationwide protests.

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Meanwhile, thousands gathered at the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) presidential primary elections, casting their votes supporting Imamoglu as the party’s presidential candidate.

Protests against Imamoglu’s arrest have been ongoing across multiple Turkish cities for the past four days.

Clashes between demonstrators and police have led to the detention of over 300 people.