A Turkish court on Sunday jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, pending trial on corruption charges, in a move likely to inflame the country's biggest protests in more than a decade.

Supporters of the mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, said that corruption charges against him were a ploy to hobble the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A Turkish court jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Sunday pending trial, CNN affiliate CNN Turk reported, as mass protests have broken out across the country against his detention over allegations of corruption and terrorism ties.