Politics Protest in Turkey continues - tens of thousands on the streets again
For the sixth evening in a row, people have taken to the streets in many parts of Turkey. In Istanbul, thousands of students marched in a protest march to the central rally site in front of the city administration, according to local media reports. Thousands also took to the streets again in Ankara, as could be seen on television images, shouting slogans such as "Government, resign!".
24.03.2025, 21:58
SDA
The protests are directed against the imprisonment and provisional dismissal of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is considered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most important rival. His party CHP nominated him as its presidential candidate on Sunday despite his imprisonment. He is accused in connection with corruption and terrorism investigations. He described the accusations as "immoral and unfounded".
CHP leader Özgür Özel called on tens of thousands of demonstrators in Istanbul in the evening to boycott certain brands that are considered to be close to the government - including a well-known coffee shop chain and a petrol station operator.
Erdogan calls the mostly peaceful demonstrations a "violent movement" and has announced that the opposition will be held accountable for their calls to protest. The demonstrations are banned in major cities such as Izmir, Ankara and Istanbul. According to figures released by the Interior Ministry on Monday afternoon, there have been more than 1,000 arrests since the protests began.
