Turkey’s president on Wednesday accused the political opposition of “sinking the economy” during the country’s largest protests in more than a decade over the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, the biggest challenger to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule.

The biggest protests in more than a decade have “erupted” across Turkey after Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on 19 March, says Ben Hubbard in The New York Times.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused the political opposition of “sinking the economy” during the country’s largest protests

Protesters and journalists share their experiences from the streets

Dozens of demonstrators marched through central Istanbul Thursday protesting the arrest of the city’s mayor. The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A Turkish court on Thursday freed Agence France-Presse journalist Yasin Akgul, detained this week while covering mass protests over the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the news agency said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he expressed concern to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan over protests and detentions in Turkey following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul.

Turkish authorities detained and deported BBC correspondent Mark Lowen​ and arrested other journalists amid the largest nationwide protests in a decade.

The arrest and recent imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sent shockwaves through Turkey, marking a decisive shift toward full autocracy. On March 19, police officers — acting on instructions from the ruling Justice and Development Party,