Turkey’s Unrest Escalates: Protests Persist and Journalists Detained
Nearly a week after they began, protests in Turkey show no signs of subsiding as citizens demand the release of Istanbul’s Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, detained by Turkish authorities on alleged corruption charges. Consequently, this arrest has sparked massive demonstrations across various Turkish cities, reflecting widespread discontent with the government’s actions against one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s most prominent rivals.
Mass Arrests and Growing Tensions
Significantly, Turkish security forces have arrested over 1,400 protesters since the movement started a week ago, condemning the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. For the seventh consecutive night, tens of thousands gathered outside Istanbul’s City Hall at the opposition’s call, amplifying their outrage. Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, Özgür Özel, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the main opposition force, rallied the crowd, asking, “Will you join the grand demonstration on Saturday to support Ekrem İmamoğlu, oppose his arrest, and demand early elections?”
Students and Citizens Unite
Additionally, thousands of students, many masked to avoid police identification, marched through Istanbul’s European side on Tuesday night, cheered by local residents. According to journalists from
Agence France-Presse (AFP), this area has been deeply affected by the mayor’s imprisonment. Since
March 19, authorities have detained 1,418 individuals for participating in banned gatherings, facing
unprecedented protests reminiscent of the 2013 Gezi Park movement that erupted from Taksim Square in Istanbul.
Journalists Caught in the Crackdown
Shockingly, an Istanbul court ordered the pretrial detention of seven Turkish journalists on Tuesday, including one from AFP, accused of joining prohibited protests in Turkey’s three largest cities over the past week. Fabrice Fries, AFP’s chairman, urged the Turkish presidency for the “swift release” of photographer Yasin Akgül, arrested for covering a banned Istanbul rally. In a letter, Fries stressed that Akgül was not protesting but documenting the unrest as a journalist since İmamoğlu’s arrest on March 19, calling his detention “unacceptable.” Akgül himself insisted he was only reporting on the demonstration he was accused of joining.
