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Demonstrations to back arrested mayor fill Turkey
(MENAFN) For the fourth consecutive night, thousands of protesters took to the streets across Türkiye, demanding the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested on corruption and terrorism charges.
Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and former vice-presidential candidate in 2023, was detained on Wednesday. He is seen as one of the strongest challengers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was reportedly set to be nominated as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
Demonstrations erupted in Ankara, Istanbul, and other major cities, with clashes between protesters and police. Security forces deployed water cannons and tear gas, particularly against students at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University. In previous nights, protesters knocked down barricades and threw objects at police vehicles.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 323 people were arrested across multiple cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, and Antalya.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Imamoglu was involved in bribery, fraud, and had ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group labeled as a terrorist organization by Ankara. However, Imamoglu dismissed the charges as politically motivated, declaring that “this immoral and tyrannical approach will be overturned by the will of the people.”
President Erdogan condemned the protests, vowing that authorities “will not allow street terror and vandalism” to threaten national stability.
Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and former vice-presidential candidate in 2023, was detained on Wednesday. He is seen as one of the strongest challengers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was reportedly set to be nominated as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
Demonstrations erupted in Ankara, Istanbul, and other major cities, with clashes between protesters and police. Security forces deployed water cannons and tear gas, particularly against students at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University. In previous nights, protesters knocked down barricades and threw objects at police vehicles.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 323 people were arrested across multiple cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, and Antalya.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Imamoglu was involved in bribery, fraud, and had ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group labeled as a terrorist organization by Ankara. However, Imamoglu dismissed the charges as politically motivated, declaring that “this immoral and tyrannical approach will be overturned by the will of the people.”
President Erdogan condemned the protests, vowing that authorities “will not allow street terror and vandalism” to threaten national stability.
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