Why thousands of pipo dey protest for Turkey?

Tens of thousands of pipo across Turkey don dey protest di arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - di main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Protesters don dey fired wit tear gas and rubber bullets for wetin don become di worst unrest in di kontri for more dan one decade.

Wetin spark di protests?

Demonstrations start for Istanbul on 19 March, sake of di arrest of one opposition leader politician Ekrem Imamoglu earlier di same day.

E come days bifor Imamoglu dey due to dey elected as presidential candidate for di secular Republican Pipo Party (CHP). E dey confirmed as party candidate for di 2028 election from im prison cell on Sunday, following one symbolic vote.

Prosecutors accuse Imamoglu of corruption, wey e deny. More dan 100 pipo also dey detained as part of di investigation.

E dey formally arrested on Sunday and wit charges say e "establish and manage one criminal organisation, take bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data and rig tender". E also don dey suspended from im post as mayor of Istanbul.

Im CHP party tok say di arrest represent "coup against our next president" and call for supporters to take to di streets in protest.

Students demonstrate for multiple universities for Istanbul, dey chant "We no dey scared, we no go dey silenced, we no go obey" - one common opposition slogan for Turkey.

Protests start off in small scale for one city wit more dan 16 million pipo.

But e don since spread to dozens of oda cities across Turkey and now dey on one level no dey seen for more dan one decade.

Demonstrations don dey largely peaceful, though clashes don dey wit police wey dey use water cannons and tear gas.

Major nationwide crackdown bin dey for recent months as authorities dey target opposition politicians, journalists and figures in di entertainment industry.

Some protesters say di demonstrations also represent wider concerns over Turkey shift toward autocracy, as well as di economy and healthcare.

Who dey protest?

Many of those wey dey protest Imamoglu arrest be university students.

Students from different universities gather for front of Istanbul University near di Beyazit area on Wednesday, break through police barricade and move towards Sarchane, wia di Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building dey located.

Protests on Thursday bin also hold on multiple university campuses for Istanbul bifor e spread to di streets.

More dan 1,100 pipo don dey detained since di demonstrations begin, according to Turkey interior minister.

At least 10 journalists wey dey di cover protests don also dey detained for Istanbul and Izmir during early morning raids by police.

Di CHP kontinu dia vote for di party presidential candidate on Sunday wit supporters wey dey head to di ballot box for one symbolic vote for Imamoglu despite im arrest.

29-year-old voter Ferhat wey tok to AFP near Istanbul city hall say: "Weneva strong opponent dey [to Erdogan], dem dey always dey jailed.

"Dictatorship dey for Turkey right now, nothing else. Na politics in name only."

Meanwhile, Sukru Ilker, 70, tok say protesters no wan "confront di police" but to protect di candidate di city vote for.

Ayten Oktay, 63-year-old pharmacist, say Turkey don "wake up", e add say: "We go defend our rights until di end."

How di Turkish govment don respond?

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan don condemn di protests, say im govment no go "surrender" to "vandalism" or "street terror".

"We no go accept di disruption of public order," e tok.

Turkish authorities don ban public gatherings, but dis no discourage protesters.

Erdogan and im administration don also deny claims say Imamoglu arrest dey politically motivated, dem insist say Turkey judiciary dey independent.

Turkey president say di CHP never dey able to respond to di corruption allegations and accuse im party chairman, Özgür Özel, say e sow unrest on di streets.

Di European Commission urge Turkey on Monday to "uphold democratic values" as a kontri wey be both member of di Council of Europe and candidate for joining di EU.

How long Erdogan don dey power?

Erdogan don hold office for di past 22 years, as both prime minister and president of Turkey for di Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) wey e establish.

Due to term limits, e no fit run for office again for 2028 unless e change di constitution.

Im and im AKP govment bin survive attempted coup for 2016 wit clash on di streets of Istanbul and Ankara, wey leave 256 pipo dead.

To im supporters, Erdogan don bring Turkey years of economic growth, but to im critics, e be autocratic leader wey no tolerate dissent and wey harshly silence anyone wey oppose am.