On March 29, tens of thousands gathered at Maltpe Beach Square in Istanbul to protest the detention of city mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, organized by the Republican People's Party (CHP). Protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the arrest and detention of Ekrem Imamoglu, a political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported 1900 arrests since the start of protests and the detention of 260 people until March 27. The protesters called for early presidential elections, stating: "Rights, law, and justice." President Erdogan called the protests a "show" and demanded that CHP stop "provocations." In response to Imamoglu's arrest, Turkey's financial assets sharply devalued, and the Central Bank used its foreign exchange reserves to support the lira.