Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and potential challenger to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court on Friday to deny charges that he had attempted to influence the judiciary.

Istanbul's powerful opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, condemned on Friday what he described as "judicial harassment" targeting him, as thousands of supporters demanded justice outside the court.

Supporters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu called for a demonstration in front of Istanbul's Palace of Justice on Friday. Imamoglu was testifying in court as part of a new investigation launched against him on charges of "attempting to influence judicial proceedings" following his remarks in early January about investigations in CHP-ruled municipalities,