The Turkish Interior Ministry temporarily suspends Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu after he was formally arrested on graft charges.

Turkish authorities have arrested 343 protesters during overnight protests in more than a dozen cities against the detention of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Interior Ministry said.

Turkish protesters against the detention of the mayor of Istanbul, who is the main political rival of President Erdogan, say his detention is a “coup” and a major blow to Turkey’s democracy.

Istanbul’s opposition mayor has been arrested as part of an investigation into what Ankara claims to be corruption and terror links, just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate.

More than a dozen people are arrested over violence against the mayor of Istanbul and opposition supporters at an election rally in Turkey as tensions rise in the country before next week's elections.

The Turkish Interior Ministry on Monday suspended three mayors in eastern and southeastern Turkey on charges of supporting terrorism.

Early results from the re-run of Istanbul’s mayoral election shows that Ekrem Imamoglu, from Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), has defeated Binali Yildirim, from the ruling AK Party.