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A woman walks past riot police officers in Istanbul Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP/dpa
Keystone
The Istanbul Governor's Office has tightened and extended the ban on protests in the city. From Sunday, access restrictions will also apply to the city, according to a statement from the office. People who want to take part in demonstrations, for example, will no longer be allowed into the city. How this is to be implemented was initially unclear.
In addition to demonstrations and gatherings, it will also be forbidden to put up posters, hand out flyers, collect signatures or hold commemorative events. According to the announcement, all measures will initially apply until midnight on Wednesday.
Imamoglu before judge - protesters in court
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was arrested on Wednesday. Since then, people have been taking to the streets across the country in defiance of bans. In addition to Istanbul, demonstrations are also officially banned in the provinces of Ankara, Izmir and Manisa.
Imamoglu was handed over to a court on Friday and is to be brought before the public prosecutor's office and then a judge for testimony that evening, his lawyer, Kemal Polat, told the German Press Agency. It is uncertain whether this will be followed by an order for pre-trial detention. Demonstrators gathered in front of the court building and police were on the scene with water cannons, as television pictures showed.
22.03.2025, 20:08
