Protesters are expected to join a mass rally in Istanbul on Saturday called by Turkey's main opposition People's Republican Party over the jailing of the city's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, a senior party figure whose arrest sparked 10 days of street demonstrations, the country's largest in a decade, AFP reported.

The rally, which will begin at 09:00 GMT in Maltepe on the Asian side of Istanbul, is the first such event organized by the ANP since Tuesday and comes on the eve of Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, which begins on Sunday.

 “Nominating Imamoglu for the presidency is the beginning of a journey that will ensure justice and sovereignty for the country. Let's go to Maltepe ... and start our march to power together!” - PKP leader Ozgur Özel said on the X TV channel.

Imamoglu, known as the only Turkish politician capable of challenging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the elections, was chosen as the candidate of the ANP for the 2028 presidential election on the day he was jailed.