Thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul on March 19 following the arrest of the cityʼs mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is seen as a main political rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
This is reported by Euronews.
The government had blocked roads in advance and imposed a four-day ban on demonstrations. Despite this, crowds gathered near the headquarters of the police, the Republican Peopleʼs Party, to which the detained mayor belongs, and the city council building. Among the protesters were students.
According to the BBC, the public is showing “anger that has not been seen for many years”. Media reports of clashes between protesters and police. Videos show that law enforcement officers used pepper spray on people.
Standing in the cold, the crowd chanted: “Erdogan is a dictator!”, “Government resign!” and “Imamoglu, you are not alone!”
New waves of protests are expected across the country as opposition leaders call on Turkish residents to resist.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previously commented on the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu — she called on Ankara to adhere to democracy.
"Turkey must uphold democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials. We want Turkey to remain committed to Europe, but this requires a commitment to democratic norms and practices," von der Leyen said.
At the same time, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc denied the oppositionʼs accusations of persecuting Imamoglu for dissent.
"To link investigations and cases initiated by the judiciary to our president is, at best, presumptuous and inappropriate. The separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government is of utmost importance to our country," he said.
- Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained on March 19. Authorities are investigating his links to corruption and terrorism. Earlier, Istanbul University revoked the politicianʼs degree, allegedly for irregularities.
- Imamoglu has been elected mayor twice, in 2019 and 2023, defeating candidates from the ruling conservative Justice and Development Party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish president also began his political career as mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s.
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