ISTANBUL, March 30. /TASS/. Turkey’s main security directorate has rejected opposition leader Ozgur Ozel’s reports that around 2.2 million people rallied in Istanbul in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
"The territory may house up to 450,000 people. The Republican People’s Party rally gathered 150,000 people," the authority said in a statement.
The Turkish opposition has been holding rallies in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu since March 19, when he was detained on charges of corruption and links to terrorism. According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, at least 1,800 protestors have so far been detained, and 260 of them have been placed into custody. The largest-scale demonstrations are taking place in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.