Arrests in Istanbul: Government takes action against Istanbul's mayor!

Arrests in Istanbul: Government takes action against Istanbul's mayor!

Istanbul, Türkei - In Turkey, the tensions between the government and the opposition have continued to worry. Justice Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the arrest of demonstrators who are said to have insulted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family. These arrests were followed by a protest demonstration in Istanbul, in which tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the detention of the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu and the government of Erdogan. Yerlikaya referred to the insults as a "detention-worthy attack", which is not in harmony with national and moral values, the .

İmamoğlu, who is the strongest challenger of Erdogan, was arrested on March 19. A court issued an arrest warrant against him four days later, and he is in custody until the negotiation. In addition, he was "temporarily" deposed as mayor by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior. Despite these adversities, his party, which was officially a presidential candidate for the 2028 election, nominated with overwhelming support of 1.6 million party members, such as Deutschlandfunk reported.

protests and international reactions

The protests triggered according to İmamoğlu's arrest attract attention nationwide. Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir to show their solidarity with İmamoğlu and to demand Erdogans. But this peace was put down by the police on Saturday with tear gas and rubber floors. There were already over 340 arrests in the context of these disputes. Social democratic initiatives, such as symbolic ballots to support İmamoğlu, show that he also gains support in prison; Over 13 million votes have already been counted, reports the Deutschlandfunk .

International observers have sharply criticized the arrest İmamoğlus. Among other things, European institutions and politicians comment on the current situation in Turkey and call for a fair procedure. In this context, it should also be noted that the EU negotiations with Turkey are currently exposed to a significant pressure on the Erdogan government in relation to the events around İmamoğlu.

The creeping loss of freedom rights

Developments in Turkey are part of a larger trend that is emerging under the leadership of Erdogan over the past two decades. Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the longest -reigning head of state in the history of Turkish democracy. His policy, which is becoming increasingly repressive, limits the press and freedom of expression. Under his rule, around 95% of the media are under direct or indirect control of the government. Critical reporting is often punished with threats and legal consequences, which forces many journalists to self-censorship, such as the Federal Center for Political Education

The situation for civil society in Turkey is tense. With the aim of keeping control of the political narrative and public life, Erdogan used various mechanisms to put political opponents and journalists under pressure. Many political activists face massive repression, while the repressive laws and measures let hope of soon democratization in the country.