Turkish court orders Istanbul mayor jailed pending trial on corruption charges

The arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu sparked riots and protests across the city (Emrah Gurel/AP)

A court formally arrested the mayor of Istanbul and key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan early on Sunday and ordered him to be jailed pending the outcome of a trial on corruption charges.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained following a raid on his residence earlier this week, sparking the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade.