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Imamoglu arrested: protests against Erdogan's authoritarian government!
In Istanbul, hundreds of thousands are protesting against the arrest of opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu ahead of the elections.
Imamoglu arrested: protests against Erdogan's authoritarian government!
In a dramatic shift in Turkish politics, Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested earlier today. This happened just days before his planned nomination as the social democratic CHP's presidential candidate for the upcoming elections. Imamoglu is suspected of supporting terror against the government as well as other serious allegations ranging from corruption to extortion. This has sparked immediate reactions, including the arrest of at least 87 more people in a massive crackdown, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Massive protests and police operations
The CHP has organized nationwide protests to mobilize against the arrest, which is viewed by the Istanbul government as an attempted coup. How vienna.at According to reports, hundreds of students gathered in the Fatih district near Istanbul University, where there were confrontations with police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowds and set up barricades. Police had previously imposed a ban on demonstrations until March 23, but protesters ignored this and demanded Imamoglu's release.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc condemned the protests and emphasized that Imamoglu's defense should not take place on the street but in the courtroom. The government sees the protests and coup rhetoric as a threat to public order and has restricted the use of social media to communicate the protests zeit.de added.
The population is angry and is characterized by the feeling that this represents a further step backwards for democracy. The arrested opposition figures face a series of charges that bring back memories of previous political arrests in Turkey. These events could have far-reaching consequences for Turkey's political landscape, as Imamoglu's presidential candidacy is seen as a thorn in Erdogan's power base. Observers fear that this could lead to further repression against dissidents and that the already tense political situation could further escalate.