Turkey Mass protests against detention of Erdogan rival
Protests are spreading in Turkey following the arrest and temporary removal of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
24.03.2025, 06:21
SDA
Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in several cities across the country, including Istanbul and Ankara, despite a ban on demonstrations. The police reportedly used water cannons and tear gas against the demonstrators late in the evening. Imamoglu's CHP party elected him as its presidential candidate shortly beforehand despite his imprisonment.
The Istanbul mayor is considered the most promising challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the election scheduled for 2028. He was arrested on Wednesday in connection with corruption and terrorism investigations and was finally remanded in custody on Sunday on corruption charges. He is also being investigated for terrorism. Since his arrest, there have been nationwide protests against this - now for the fifth day in a row.
Imamoglu himself denies all allegations and accuses the government of wanting to use the investigations to eliminate him as a political rival. The Ministry of the Interior stripped him of the office of mayor due to the pre-trial detention. The ministry referred to this as a "temporary" step. According to media reports, he was taken to a prison in Silivri.
Strong support for Imamoglu in internal party vote
Despite the pre-trial detention, 1.6 million of the 1.7 million CHP members voted for Imamoglu as presidential candidate in an internal party vote, as party leader Özgür Özel said at a rally in Istanbul in the evening. Özel spoke of a "historic election". However, due to the ongoing investigations against Imamoglu, which have been causing turmoil in the country for days, there is a big question mark over the 53-year-old's political future.
The party had also set up so-called solidarity voting boxes - where people could symbolically cast their vote for Imamoglu. According to Özel, more than 13 million symbolic votes have already been cast for Imamoglu after more than half of the solidarity ballot boxes have been counted. Turkey has 85.6 million inhabitants.
The election, in which Imamoglu was the only candidate, had already been scheduled before his arrest. The party then symbolically opened it up to non-party members. Imamoglu will only be an official candidate if the Turkish election authority YSK, which is considered to be pro-government, confirms his candidacy. If the investigations are not dropped, it is unlikely that his candidacy will be accepted.
In addition, Imamoglu was stripped of his university degree one day before his arrest. This is a prerequisite for running for president. Polls have so far predicted that Imamoglu stands a good chance against Erdogan, who has been alternately head of government and president since 2003.
CHP leader speaks of one million demonstrators in Istanbul
Hundreds of thousands gathered in front of the city administration on Sarachane Square for the protest on Sunday evening in the metropolis of Istanbul. The CHP leader spoke of one million participants. There is no information from local authorities on the size of the demonstrations. Thousands of people also reportedly continued the protests in Ankara. According to the Ministry of the Interior, around 700 people were arrested.
"Erdogan: enough is enough"
"I salute the millions who raised their voices tonight in Sarachane Square and in squares all over my country," read a message published on Imamoglu's X account. "They told Erdogan: "Enough is enough!"."
The mayors of the Istanbul municipalities of Beylikdüzü and Sisli were also removed from office, and a forced administrator was appointed in Sisli. It is still unclear whether a trustee close to the government will now be appointed for the politically important metropolis of Istanbul.
Meanwhile, France criticized Imamoglu's arrest as a serious restriction of democracy. Respect for the rights of elected members of the opposition, freedom of demonstration and freedom of expression are the cornerstones of the rule of law. As an EU accession candidate, Turkey had also pledged its commitment on these points, the French Foreign Ministry warned.
