ISTANBUL (AP) — Police used pepper spray, plastic pellets and water cannon against protesters in Turkey’s capital early Thursday, the latest clash in the country’s biggest anti-government protests in over a decade.

Unlike X, which has suspended social media accounts at the request of the Turkish government, Meta says it has faced heavy fines in Turkey for refusing to do so.

President Erdogan is calculating he can ride out the upheaval caused by the arrest of his top rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

People wave flags of Turkey atop a garbage truck during a rally called by the Republican People's Party (CHP) in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor Ekrem Imanoglu in Maltepe, on the outskirts of Istanbul on March 29, 2025 (Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP)

A Turkish court has formally arrested Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and kept him in jail pending his trial on corruption charges. View on euronews

Turkey has arrested the lawyer for jailed political opposition leader and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in what Imamoglu Thursday called a legal coup against democracy.

Nearly 1,900 people have been arrested in ongoing protests sparked by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Friday that his lawyer had been detained.

Charged with 'corruption' and 'aiding a terror organization,' the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition figure against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, triggered nationwide protests.

The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.