Protests against Turkish President Erdogan have been ongoing since the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Human rights observers warn that the number of Turkey's political prisoners is skyrocketing.

The Turkish opposition on Sunday worked to keep up the momentum of the protest movement triggered by the Istanbul mayor's arrest by pushing for early elections as well as his release, with a Swedish reporter the latest detained in a government crackdown.

By forcing the Istanbul mayor out of politics, the government has crossed the line that separates Turkey’s competitive authoritarian system from a full, Russian-style autocracy in which the president handpicks his opponents and elections are purely for show.

Millions of people took part in a vote on Sunday organized by the main opposition party, the CHP, to nominate their candidate for the 2028 presidential election. The clear winner is currently in prison.

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.