A massive wave of protests swept through Istanbul on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, expressing their outrage over the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu. The former mayor of Istanbul was detained last week on corruption charges, a move widely seen as an effort by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government to sideline a key political rival ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
İmamoğlu, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been a central figure in Turkish politics since his surprise victory in Istanbul’s mayoral race in 2019. His popularity soared as he positioned himself as a formidable challenger to Erdoğan, who has ruled Turkey for over two decades. On Monday, İmamoğlu was officially nominated as a presidential candidate, further escalating tensions between the government and the opposition.
The mass demonstration in Istanbul, organized by CHP leader Özgür Özel, drew an enormous crowd. Özel claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that 2.2 million people attended the rally. Protesters waved Turkish flags and chanted slogans denouncing the government’s crackdown on political dissent.
“We will not be silenced,” said one demonstrator, 34-year-old teacher Ebru Yılmaz. “This is not just about İmamoğlu. This is about democracy, our freedom, and our right to choose our leaders without fear.”
Similar protests erupted across major Turkish cities, including Ankara and Izmir, with clashes reported between protesters and police. Authorities responded with force, deploying riot police and using tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. Over the past week, more than a thousand demonstrators have been arrested, and reports indicate that several journalists covering the protests have also been detained.
Since İmamoğlu’s arrest, the Turkish government has ramped up efforts to suppress dissent. Human rights organizations and international observers have condemned the arrests, warning that Turkey’s democracy is at risk. The European Commission issued a statement urging Ankara to “uphold democratic values and respect the rule of law.”
Critics argue that İmamoğlu’s arrest is politically motivated, intended to weaken the opposition before the crucial presidential election. His supporters believe the corruption charges against him are fabricated. “This is an attack on the will of the people,” said CHP member and former lawmaker Gürsel Tekin. “The government is using judicial institutions as weapons to eliminate political threats.”
The protests have significantly intensified the political landscape in Turkey. Özel has pledged to continue organizing demonstrations every Saturday, with additional weekly rallies in Istanbul on Wednesdays. He called on Turkish citizens to stand firm against what he described as Erdoğan’s “authoritarian grip on power.”
While the government remains defiant, refusing to back down from its stance on İmamoğlu’s case, opposition leaders are rallying their supporters to push back against the crackdown. The arrest has also drawn comparisons to past political purges in Turkey, where opposition figures have frequently been targeted under Erdoğan’s rule.
