21 Mar, 20:55

Turkish opposition leader says 210,000 people taking part in rally in Istanbul

Rallies and marches in support for detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu are also held in Ankara and several other Turksih cities

© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

ANKARA, March 21. /TASS/. Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, has said some 210,000 people gathered for a protest rally in Istanbul’s Sarachane Park, located in front of the city administration’s building, on Friday.

"On the first night on March 19, some 120,000 gathered here. Yesterday, there were 160,000 people here. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that there will be no protests anywhere in Turkey today, but there are 210,000 of us here," he said, addressing the rally.

Rallies and marches in support for detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu are also held in Ankara and several other Turksih cities. In Ankara, several thousand people came to a rally in Guvenpark. Mayor Mansur Yavas, representing the opposition Republican People’s Party, addressed the demonstrators.

The rallies are proceeding peacefully, although sporadic clashes with the police were reported from Istanbul and Izmir, where the police used tear gas and water cannons and detained the most aggressive protesters.

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