Chaos in Türkiye after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
Protests continue across Turkey against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The protests have escalated into one of the largest demonstrations in over a decade. Imamoglu's supporters claim his imprisonment highlights the lack of justice in Turkey, while the government denies the investigation is politically motivated. Read more about the ongoing protests and political tensions in Turkey.
A series of large protests are continuing across the country against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. According to the government, more than 1,000 people have been detained. According to media reports, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday that 1,133 people have been detained across Turkey since the protests began five days ago against the detention of Ekrem Imamoglu. For more international news on this issue, visit here.
The biggest protests in Turkey in more than a decade have erupted after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival Imamoglu was detained last Wednesday. On Sunday, a court sent him to jail on corruption charges. However, Imamoglu denied the allegations.
Protests continue despite ban
Despite a ban on gatherings in several cities, anti-government protests continued for the fifth consecutive night on Sunday, with thousands of people participating. The protests were mostly peaceful. However, Yerlikaya claimed that 123 police officers had been injured during the protests so far. He said the government was trying to "spread terror in the streets". Turkey's journalists union said on Monday that those detained included nine journalists who covered overnight protests in several cities. It was not yet clear why the journalists were detained.
Erdogan denies investigation is politically motivated
Imamoglu's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) called for protests against the court's decision to arrest the mayor. Imamoglu rejected the charges against him as "unimaginable" and called for nationwide protests. Erdogan said last week that the government would not accept "disruption of public order". His government denied that the investigation was politically motivated and said the courts were independent.
Protests to hide opposition's shortcomings: Celik
Omer Celik, a spokesman for Erdogan's ruling AK Party, said on Monday that the CHP called for the protests to hide the opposition's shortcomings. "Democratic protest is a (fundamental) right, but the CHP's language is not the language of democratic protest," Celik said. 54-year-old Imamoglu was elected to the CHP's presidential primary to be his candidate. Nearly 15 million votes were cast in support of the mayor. The mayor's supporters said on Monday that Imamoglu's imprisonment reflects the lack of justice in Türkiye. Stay updated with the latest developments on this issue by reading the ePaper here.
What's Your Reaction?
