Istanbul erupts in protests over Erdogan rival’s arrest
Tens of thousands gathered in Istanbul on Saturday to protest the arrest and imprisonment of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the leading political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to Reuters., this is among the largest protests Turkey has seen in the past decade.
The “Freedom for Imamoglu” rally, organized by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was held in Maltepe, on Istanbul’s Asian shore. Demonstrators waved Turkish flags and held banners reading, “If justice is silent, the people will speak.”
The mostly peaceful protests have spread nationwide. Since they began, nearly 1,900 people have been detained, with 260 placed in pretrial detention, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested last week on bribery charges. The opposition, human rights groups, and several Western countries argue that his case is politically motivated and intended to sideline a strong presidential contender. The Turkish government denies any interference in the judiciary, insisting that the courts are independent.
“The economy, justice, and the rule of law—everything is deteriorating. That’s why we are here. We demand ‘rights, law, and justice’ and stand up for our rights,” said a CHP supporter.
President Erdogan dismissed the protests as mere “theatrics” and warned of possible legal repercussions. He also urged the opposition to halt what he called “provoking the people.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
