Tens of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Saturday to protest against the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, sustaining the largest demonstrations Turkey has seen in more than a decade.

Turkish authorities have detained 343 people during overnight protests in several cities against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

More than 1,100 people, including some journalists, were detained in protests against Turkish President Erdogan after the arrest of his rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

Supporters of the political opposition are finding ways to fight back after the government jailed the top political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Since the early 2000s, Turkey has relied on a foreign policy approach that emphasised cooperation instead of competition. Economic ties were a priority, which helped Turkey steadily improve its relationships with Russia,

Dozens of demonstrators marched through central Istanbul Thursday protesting the arrest of the city’s mayor. The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish authorities have detained at least three journalists and an Istanbul district official amid an ongoing crackdown on protests against the jailing of key opposition politician Ekrem İmamoğlu, media reported on Friday.

Turkey said on Thursday it rejected "prejudiced" foreign statements over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and protests it triggered, following the detention of nearly 1,900 people since the nationwide demonstrations began eight days ago.

Turkish authorities detained and deported BBC correspondent Mark Lowen​ and arrested other journalists amid the largest nationwide protests in a decade.