Thousands take to streets of Istanbul to protest over mayor’s arrest
The city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, a rival to President Recep Erdogan, was detained on March 19 on corruption and terrorism charges.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters again congregated in Istanbul on Saturday to how their support for the city’s imprisoned mayor and demand his release.
Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) organised the demonstration, the latest in a series of protests that resulted in hundreds of detentions and have turned up the pressure on the country’s long-time leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to Mr Erdogan, was detained on March 19 on corruption and terrorism charges that many saw as politically motivated.
The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.
His detention, and later formal arrest over the corruption charges on March 23, sparked nationwide protests despite assembly bans, police crackdowns, and legal prosecution by authorities.
“They’ve detained hundreds of our children, thousands of our youths … arrested hundreds of them,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told protesters.
“They only had one goal in mind: to intimidate them, terrify them, make sure they never go out again.”
Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday that nearly 1,900 people had been detained since March 19, and pro-government media reported on Friday that public prosecutors had requested up to three years imprisonment for 74 of the detainees.
Police kept their distance at Saturday’s rally with no new arrests reported.
Mr Ozel called for the immediate release of Mr Imamoglu, as well as for other political prisoners including Selahattin Demirtas, a former presidential candidate and founder of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM.
“In the Turkey we envision presidential candidates will not be imprisoned,” added Mr Ozel.
Last Sunday, hours after he had been formally arrested, Mr Imamoglu won a symbolic primary to be the CHP’s candidate in a presidential election currently scheduled for 2028, but which is likely to take place earlier.
Mr Ozel noted they would begin collecting signatures for Mr Imamoglu’s release and also to demand an early election.
Other speakers at Saturday’s rally included Dilek Imamoglu, the imprisoned mayor’s wife, as well as Ankara mayor Masur Yavas, another high profile CHP figure.
