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Erdogan under pressure: 300,000 Istanbulers protest for imamoglu!
In Istanbul, 300,000 people protest against the arrest of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, while the police take through hard.
Erdogan under pressure: 300,000 Istanbulers protest for imamoglu!
On Friday, March 21, 2025, there were massive protests in Istanbul, in which over 300,000 people took part despite the threat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The demonstrators demanded the release of the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested in his house on Wednesday after a raid. İmamoğlu, a key figure of the opposition and potential challenger of Erdogan, faces serious allegations, including corruption and the execution of a "criminal organization". According to the reports from the crown and the Time demonstrated not only from solidarity with İmamoğlu, but also for the preservation of democracy and against the use of judiciary as a political tool by the government.
The police reacted to the mass protests. Witnesses reported that tear gas, rubber flooring and pepper spray were used to dispel the protesters. In Izmir, even water cannons were sent to the repression against the demonstrators. These violent clashes led to the arrest of dozens of people, including MPs and party members of the CHP. Erdogan described the protests as a "street terror" and warned of a supposed chaos, led by the opposition, while the protesters rejected the allegations against Imamoğlu as baseless and politically motivated. A 56-year-old demonstrator was convinced: "There is no more honest man than him," reported the crown.
Political tensions and arrests
The pressure on the opposition continues to grow because numerous arrests have been recorded in the past few days after İmamoğlu has been arrested. Despite his detention, the mayor is officially chosen as a candidate for the 2028 presidential election on Sunday, which also fuels the political situation. In addition to corruption, he is also accused of supporting terrorism, which makes the situation escalate even more for the opposition CHP. As a result of the protests, demonstration and assembly bans were imposed in various cities in Türkiye, such as in Ankara and Izmir. The increasing tensions between the government and the opposition could change the political landscape of Türkiye sustainably, which makes the challenge that Erdogan represents.