A TURKISH court confirmed the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu today as protests swept the country in defiance of a four-day ban on demonstrations.

Authorities intensified a crackdown on dissent assisted by US tycoon Elon Musk’s X social media platform, which suspended accounts belonging to key opposition leaders and activists involved in organising protest, apparently at the government’s request. The suspensions are ironic as Mr Musk claimed to have acquired X, then called Twitter, to stop it censoring people.

As the court ordered Mr Imamoglu’s imprisonment pending his trial on corruption charges, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) began a primary to select him as its presidential candidate regardless. 

The CHP says the accusations against the mayor of Turkey’s — and Europe’s — biggest city are intended to remove him from the running for the presidency, as he’s seen as a threat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s re-election.

The CHP also set up ballot boxes in party offices across Turkey in which citizens can vote in solidarity with Mr Imamoglu.