Hundreds of thousands of people protest in Istanbul against Imamoglu's arrest

2025-03-29 16:04:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hundreds of thousands of people protest in Istanbul against Imamoglu's

Hundreds of thousands of Turks protested in Istanbul on Saturday against the imprisonment of the city's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, who is the main rival of the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Demonstrators continued their protests on Saturday, which have become the largest demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade.

A letter from Imamoglu was read at the protest, accompanied by loud cheers from the crowd.

"I am not afraid, you stand behind me and support me. I am not afraid because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor," Imamoglu's letter reads.

"They can put me in jail and try me as much as they want, the nation has proven that it will break all traps and conspiracies," the letter said.

Hundreds of thousands of Turks across the country responded to opposition calls for protests after Imamoglu was arrested last week and then jailed awaiting trial on corruption charges.

The protests have been largely peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people have been arrested.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), other opposition parties, human rights groups and some Western countries have stated that the case against Imamoglu is a politicized attempt to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan.

The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters with Turkish flags and banners gathered at a rally in Maltepe, on the Asian side of Istanbul, for the "Freedom for Imamoglu" protest, organized by the CHP.

Police imposed strict security measures around the place where opposition supporters were gathering.

"If justice is silent, the people will speak," read a banner held by the crowd.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, speaking at the protest, said millions of Turks are demanding Imamoglu's release and holding elections. He stressed that the charges against the mayor are baseless and politically motivated, while the CHP called for a boycott of media outlets, brands and shops that support Erdogan.

Last week, the CHP held internal elections to confirm Imamoglu as its candidate for the next presidential election, which is scheduled for 2028.

However, the CHP is calling for early elections, arguing that the government has lost legitimacy.

Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said this week that almost 1,900 people have been detained since the protests began, while courts have ordered the detention of 260 of them pending trial.

Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than two decades, has called the protests a "show", warned of legal consequences and called on the CHP to stop "provoking" citizens.

Since Imamoglu's arrest, Turkish financial markets have plummeted, forcing the Central Bank to use reserves to prop up the lira. The crisis has also caused concerns in the private sector.

The government has stated that the impact will be limited and temporary. The Central Bank said that the main dynamics of the economy remain intact, but is ready to take additional measures if necessary./ REL