Protests have intensified in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was jailed pending trial on corruption charges. Despite a ban on gatherings, hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Istanbul for a fifth consecutive night in response to what many consider a politically motivated move against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s primary rival.
Imamoglu was detained on Wednesday and formally arrested on Sunday, facing serious allegations including running a criminal organization, accepting bribes, extortion, and illegally recording personal data. Following his arrest, police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators gathered outside Istanbul’s city hall.
Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford reported that, while the protests remained “relatively peaceful,” they represented “the biggest protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade.” Protesters, many wearing masks to conceal their identities, expressed concerns about the erosion of democracy in Turkey.
Questions linger regarding how long authorities will permit the protests to continue and whether they could escalate into a significant challenge for Erdogan. Imamoglu has called the accusations against him “unimaginable slanders.”
Many view his detention as a strategic attempt to sideline him from the 2028 presidential race, raising alarms over the state of democracy and rule of law in the country. The Turkish government has denied any political motives behind Imamoglu’s arrest, asserting the independence of the judiciary.
Erdogan has been in power since his Justice and Development Party (AKP) took office in 2003. The main opposition in the upcoming election is expected to be the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which held a primary this weekend to endorse Imamoglu as their candidate.
The CHP also set up solidarity boxes for non-members to express support, with reports indicating that over 13 million had contributed by the time of the protests.
In a social media post, Imamoglu remarked on the public response, stating the people have conveyed to Erdogan that “enough is enough.” He added, “That ballot box will arrive, and the nation will deliver a slap to the administration it will never forget.”
Potentially in jeopardy of being barred from running for president if convicted, Imamoglu was among 48 individuals detained pending trial this weekend, including a key aide and two district mayors from Istanbul.
While the protests have been largely peaceful, some violence has occurred in Istanbul and other cities, including Ankara and Izmir. Clashes resulted in police using water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray against demonstrators, some of whom retaliated by throwing stones and fireworks. Turkey’s interior minister reported that 323 individuals were detained on Saturday amid the unrest.
Credit: Sky News
