ISTANBUL MAYOR İMAMOĞLU DENIES CHARGES IN POLICE TESTIMONY

ISTANBUL, March 23 (Bernama-dpa) --  Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has firmly rejected allegations brought against him, as protests over the investigation into the popular Turkish politician continue, reported German news agency dpa.

"The immoral and baseless accusations directed at me are designed to undermine my standing and credibility," İmamoğlu said in a statement issued by his city administration following police questioning.

He denied the charges and said they are based on "fabricated" reports.

The political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was taken into custody on Wednesday, sparking  nationwide demonstrations.

The charges include membership in a criminal organisation, bribery, fraud, bid rigging, and support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to state news agency Anadolu.

After two days of police questioning, İmamoğlu began answering the questions of prosecutors under heavy security measures at Istanbul's Çağlayan courthouse on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear if and when the prosecutors will refer İmamoğlu to the court and under which of the accusations.

Meanwhile several thousand supporters defied a ban on public gatherings and waited outside the Istanbul courthouse and mayoral office, local media reported.

Images from the Anka news agency of a march in Istanbul showed thousands of participants. As on previous evenings, the use of pepper spray against demonstrators was also reported once again in Istanbul, as well as at a rally in Ankara. 

Protests were also reported from various parts of the country during the day.

-- BERNAMA-dpa