Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the Turkish city of Istanbul to protest against the imprisonment of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
On Wednesday, Davutoglu, a rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was sentenced to more than two years in prison for insulting state officials.
The ruling sparked widespread criticism inside and outside Turkey.
The US State Department expressed deep concern and disappointment at the “unjust ruling”. The German foreign minister described the ruling as a major blow to democracy.
This ruling prevents Oglu from running in the upcoming presidential elections. The mayor of Istanbul will continue in office while the judiciary considers his appeal against the ruling.
There is a possibility of accelerating the trial procedures to hold a speedy hearing and eliminate any attempt by Imamoglu to run in the presidential elections scheduled for next June.
The US State Department said it was “deeply concerned and disappointed” by the prospect of one of President Erdogan’s greatest rivals being removed from the political scene.
Germany described the ruling as a “big blow to democracy”, while France urged Turkey to “stop its slide away from the rule of law, democracy and respect for basic human rights”.
A statement issued by the European Union said, “This ruling is disproportionate and underscores the systematic lack of judicial independence and undue political pressure on judges and prosecutors in Turkey.”
The Turkish opposition does not support a single candidate against Erdogan, who has been in power for nearly two decades.
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Ekrem Imamoglu among crowds of his supporters at the Istanbul demonstration
According to opinion polls, the 52-year-old mayor of Istanbul is one of Erdogan’s main rivals.
The divided opposition took advantage of the ruling to try to give a boost to its activities.
Imamoglu marched alongside six opposition party leaders through crowds of supporters, aiming to show their defiance of Erdogan.
Addressing the crowds, Imamoglu said, “I am not at all afraid of their illegitimate rule.”
“I don’t have judges to protect me, but I have 16 million Istanbulites and our nation behind me,” he added.
Polls show Wednesday’s ruling may backfire on Erdogan.
Indicators of Erdogan’s popularity were showing a relative improvement compared to last year.
But a poll conducted by the “Metropol” foundation showed that voters who vote for Erdogan’s party also believe that the case against the mayor of Istanbul is “political”.
The “Metropoll” poll showed that 28.3 percent of voters who support the Justice and Development Party believe that the case is related to politics, while 24.2 percent believe that it is due to “defamation.”
Erdogan has not yet commented on the ruling against the mayor of Istanbul.
The former EU ambassador to Turkey tweeted, “This ruling and the accompanying political ban is a sign of the AKP’s deep concern that Imamoglu may be the opposition candidate.”
He added: “Failure to overturn the ruling in the appeal session will severely damage the credibility of the elections.”
Ekrem Imamoglu: Erdogan’s biggest potential rival in the presidential race has been sentenced to prison
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