Istanbul: After the arrest of Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, thousands of people protested on the streets of Turkey, after critics said it was politically motivated.
Protesters defied the warnings of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the early hours of Friday night, warning Türkiye would not tolerate “street terrorism.”
It was the third consecutive night of protesters opposed the arrest of Erdogan’s biggest political rival in Türkiye’s biggest street protests in a decade.
Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, who called for a nationwide protest, told a group of people in front of Istanbul’s town hall that “300,000 people” joined the demonstration.
He told The Huge Gathering: “This is not a sanitation rally; the people here come from all sides and show solidarity with Mayor Imamoglu and support democracy.”
Erdogan “tryed to reverse Imamoglu’s arm and take over the building by using the judiciary as a weapon. But we will not hand it over to the government-appointed trustee!” he announced.
According to two AFP reporters who were hit in the leg, the clashes broke out in protests as he spoke, and riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets.
AFP reporter and opposition Hawke TV reported that in Ankara and the west coast city of Izmir, police fired water cannons and tear gas to protesters.
“Don’t stay silent or you’ll be next.” Istanbul protesters shouted, as a large crowd gathered at sunset, waving placards that read: “Don’t be afraid, people are here!” and “Law, rights, justice.”
“We didn’t take the streets with force. We’re here,” said Necla, 56.
“I don’t believe in the allegations against Imamgru. No one is as honest as he is,” she told AFP.
Street protests on the “dead end”
The arrest was just a few days ago, Imamoglu was officially named the 2028 presidential candidate for the Health Conference.
According to AFP’s count, protests quickly spread from Istanbul to at least 40 of Türkiye’s 81 provinces.
Just as Ozer of the Centre for Health Protection urged people from all over the country to stand up, Erdogan declared: “Türkiye will not succumb to street terror.
He added: “Let me make it clear that the street protests requested by the Centre for Health Protection are dead ends.”
He accused opposition leaders of being “seriously irresponsible” and raised concerns that he might also face legal action.
On Friday, authorities extended the protest ban to Ankara and Izmir. Before the rally in Istanbul, they blocked major access routes to the town hall, including the Galata Bridge and the Ataturk Bridge.
According to Turkish media reports, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters in Istanbul and Ankara on Thursday, and Turkish media arrested at least 88 protesters.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 16 police officers were injured. Police detained 54 people online posts authorities are considered to be authorities who “incited hatred.”
Prosecutors said they are investigating Imamoglu’s “assisting terrorist group” – a banned Kurdish provincial armed group. They also claim to be investigating him and about 100 people in corruption.
Currency and Stock Markets
The move against Imamoglu dealt a heavy blow to the Turkish lira, with the Bist 100 trading on the stock exchange on Friday, down nearly 8% before GMT 1400.
Despite Imamoglu’s detention, CHP vowed to file ahead of schedule in Sunday’s primary, which would formally nominate him as a candidate for the 2028 competition.
The party announced that it would open the process to anyone who wishes to vote, not just members of the party, saying: “Come to the ballot box and say ‘no’ to the coup attempt!”
Observers suggest that the government can try to block the main major support to prevent further support for imamoglu.
Gonul Tol, of the Washington-based Middle East Academy, spoke to AFP: “If many people show up and vote for Imamoglu, it will further legalize him at home and truly move in a direction that Erdogan doesn’t want.”
