ISTANBUL: Huge crowds gathered outside Istanbul City Hall for a fourth night of protests over the arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who told police Saturday (Mar 22) the allegations against him were "immoral and baseless". 

The demonstrations, which began in Istanbul on Wednesday, have since spread to more than 55 of Türkiye's 81 provinces, sparking violent clashes with riot police in the country's worst street protests in more than a decade.

Imamoglu's arrest came just days before he was to have been formally named as the main opposition CHP's candidate in the 2028 presidential race.

Following a night in which organisers said 300 000 protesters had rallied in Istanbul, there were similar numbers on Saturday. The boulevard outside the City Hall was a sea of red Turkish flags and angry banners reading: "Dictators are cowards!" 

On the fringes of the rally, protesters once again clashed with riot police, who fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray and also used percussion grenades, AFP correspondents said.

Meanwhile, about 10 kilometres away, around 1000 protesters gathered outside Caglayan courthouse where Imamoglu was being questioned by prosecutors investigating the claims against him, another correspondent said.

Outside, police had set up a tight security cordon with nearly 20 anti-riot vehicles at the ready, as protesters stood nearby, chanting: "Shoulder ...