Protests in Turkey were blasted with water cannons as unrest rose following the arrest of an opposition leader.

Demonstrations began in response to Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest on Wednesday, March 19.

Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a key political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained just days before announcing his presidential candidacy.

Prosecutors charged him with corruption and supporting a terrorist group, labelling him a 'criminal organisation leader suspect'.

Footage shows the chaotic scene as riot police used water cannons to disperse the crowd in Antalya on Sunday, March 23.

Turkish authorities reportedly detained more than 340 protesters on the night of Saturday following protests in dozens of cities. Around 16 officers were reportedly injured, with Erdogan calling the protests 'street terrorism' and 'vandalism'.

Presidential elections are scheduled for 2028. Erdogan, who is currently serving his second term and previously served as prime minister, cannot run for office again at this time.

Erdogan would need to amend the constitution or call an early election before the end of his current term to contest another election.