Turkey Turkish police arrest hundreds of protesters
According to the latest information, more than 340 people were arrested on Friday evening during nationwide protests in Turkey. Following the controversial arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, people took to the streets for the third evening in a row.
22.03.2025, 12:41
22.03.2025, 12:42
SDA
Despite bans on demonstrations, they gathered in the major cities of Istanbul and Ankara, among others. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on Platform X of a total of 343 arrests. Previously there had been talk of 97 arrests.
Imamoglu is considered a rival of head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu was arrested along with many other people on Wednesday, just a few days before his planned nomination as the presidential candidate of the largest opposition party CHP.
He is accused of terrorism and corruption. Opposition activists believe that the government is behind this, intending to eliminate a political rival.
Imamoglu speaks of a political coup
Imamoglu condemned the investigations in an X-Post on Saturday as a "political coup" and added: "I call on my people. With your support, we will first thwart this coup, and then we will send away those who let us experience this." Imamoglu is to be brought before a court today.
Meanwhile, 56 social media users have been detained on charges of inciting unrest, the state news agency Anadolu reported.
