Thousands of Turks defy ban on street gatherings and RAMP UP PROTESTS

Scuffles with police officers persist in cities across Turkiye as demonstrators oppose the detention of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as President Erdogan’s main political rival.

The authorities restricted access to some social media, with dozens of people arrested on suspicion of making what police described as “provocative posts inciting crime and hatred.”