Turkey's main opposition leader said on Thursday any move to legally bar Istanbul's detained mayor from running for president would only strengthen support for their party, and that any candidate would beat President Tayyip Erdogan in elections.

Turkish authorities have detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of corruption and terror investigations, according to state broadcaster TRT, citing the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office.

Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu appeared to address Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a social media post on Thursday, accusing him of corruption and calling on members of his ruling party and the judiciary to oppose injustice.