Turkey has experienced zero pressure from the US since the detention of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19 and the taking to the streets of tens of thousands of Turks concerned that what democracy there is left in their country is being snuffed out.

Protests have erupted in Turkey after authorities detained the mayor of Istanbul, just days before he was due to be selected as a presidential candidate. Ekrem Imamoglu, from the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), is seen as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rivals.

The mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was detained after prosecutors accused him of corruption and terrorism. The opposition said the arrest was politically motivated.