PARIS, April 8, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The French capital on Tuesday made Istanbul's jailed mayor a citizen of honour, with the city's top official throwing her support behind the Turkish opposition figure.

Mass protests have erupted in Turkey after the March 19 arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, a main rival to President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, on corruption charges his supporters say are false.

Widely seen as the only politician capable of challenging Erdogan at the ballot box, Imamoglu was elected as the opposition CHP party's candidate for the 2028 election on the day he was jailed.

"Imamoglu is today unfairly prevented from representing his party and carrying the voice of millions of Turkish people," Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told the city council after it voted to make him a citizen of honour.

"Deprived of his freedom and his basic rights, he should be able to count on the full support of Paris," said the Socialist, describing the French city as "the capital of human rights".

This show of support "will perhaps allow the current Turkish authorities to hear the voices of democratic reason", she added.

Hidalgo was among several European mayors who called for Imamoglu's release last month.