CHP holds symbolic vote for jailed mayor

Turkish opposition supporters across the country headed to ballot boxes for the Republican People's Party's (CHP) primary election, where jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was the only candidate.

Thousands of people filled the streets outside the ballot station in Istanbul's Kadikoy district, a CHP stronghold.

They lined up to vote in solidarity with Imamoglu, who was jailed pending trial.

The CHP organized a massive symbolic primary event in support of Imamoglu as its presidential candidate, placing ballot boxes in nearly 6,000 locations across the country to collect ballots bearing the leader's name, with separate boxes for members and supportive citizens.

The party's leader, Özgür Özel, confirmed that 92% of the party's 1.7 million members voted and that more than 13 million solidarity votes were collected, totaling nearly 15 million ballots in a country with 50 million registered voters.

Özgür Özel said the arrest was to coincide with the CHP vote, which is expected to announce Imamoglu as the party's next presidential candidate.

A Turkish court said Imamoglu, 54, and at least 20 others were jailed as part of a corruption investigation - one of two that were opened against him last week.

The demonstration, held for the fifth consecutive day in front of the town hall in Saraçhane Square, has grown in number every day despite the government ban on marches and protests, and likely gathered around 100,000 people.

Also anti-government protesters in Ankara were pushed back by police after water cannons were used for about an hour.

Police have clashed with protesters in the capital as well as Istanbul and Izmir over the jailing and arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main political rival of Turkish President Tayyib Erdogan, pending trial on corruption charges.

Imamoglu's arrest caps a months-long legal crackdown on opposition figures and the removal of other elected officials from office.

A future ruling to jail him pending trial on these charges could allow the government to appoint a trustee to run Istanbul.