Imamoglu urged judges and prosecutors to “stand up and take action against those who are ruining the judiciary” in a message on X via his lawyers.
The powerful and popular mayor -- who is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival -- was held before dawn on Wednesday, just days before he was to be named as the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 race.
‘Completely unlawful’
Students were also marching from Istanbul University, which had on Tuesday revoked Imamoglu’s degree -- a significant move as presidential candidates must have a third level qualification.
CHP head and opposition leader Ozgur Ozel was expected to address protesters at City Hall again on Thursday at 1730 GMT, a party spokesman told AFP.
Turkey’s Central Bank said it would draw on its foreign exchange reserves if needed to prevent further harm to the currency, with economists saying it had already done so on Wednesday.
More than 80 people were rounded up in Wednesday’s raids and investigators began quizzing them early on Thursday, local media said.
He is also under investigation for “bribery, extortion, corruption, aggravated fraud, and illegally obtaining personal data for profit as part of a criminal organisation” along with 99 other suspects.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 37 people had been detained for posting content online that was deemed “provocative” and more investigations were under way.
“Imamoglu’s only crime was that he was taking the lead in opinion polls,“ CHP leader Ozel told the crowds at Wednesday night’s protest.
Human Rights Watch called for Imamoglu to be “released from police custody immediately”.
By law, Erdogan -- who has been president for more than a decade, having been premier for 11 years before that -- cannot run again in the 2028 race.
Hamish Kinnear, a senior analyst with Verisk Maplecroft risk consultancy, said the move against Imamoglu could end up harming those plans.
Erdogan already changed the constitution to introduce the presidential system after a referendum in 2017.
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