Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 53 people were detained and 16 police officers were injured in protests that began at university campuses and elsewhere.

Turkey's government criticised a call from the main opposition leader for people to take to the streets to protest what they say is the undemocratic detention of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, as thousands demonstrated across the country.

Turkey's authoritarian crackdown on political opposition continued Thursday with 37 people arrested for social media posts deemed "provocative." The posts came after the arrest of opposition leader Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.