Protests have ramped up across many cities in Türkiye for a third day over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem İmamoglu, a key opposition politician.
In response, the Turkish authorities announced the detention of 343 people on Friday night, according to Türkiye’s Interior Minister.
Türkiye Protests
Turkish people took to the streets on Wednesday against the detention of İmamoglu, in one of the largest protests in more than a decade. Tens of thousands of people participated in mostly peaceful demonstrations, despite a four-day ban on gatherings, reported Reuters.
İmamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), the main opposition, called its supporters to demonstrate lawfully. As a result, big rallies gathered on Friday night across several cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and other cities.
According to the CHP leader, Ozgur Ozel, around 300,000 people took part in the demonstrations despite the authorities’ ban on gatherings.
Clashes with Police
In Istanbul, Turkish police tried to disperse crowds using pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets, while protesters rushed at police barricades and threw flares, stones and other objects at them.
Clashes with riot police were also reported in Izmir, Ankara and other cities. According to the Associated Press (AP), police forces resorted to forceful measures at times while trying to break up demonstrations in Ankara and Izmir.
Maintaining Public Order
The Turkish Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, said that authorities arrested 343 suspects in the protests that took place in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, Konya and Edirne over Friday night.
In a post on X, Yerlikaya said that Turkish authorities will not tolerate with any attempts to “disrupt social order, threaten the peace and security, and cause chaos and provocation.”
İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığınca yürütülen İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi soruşturması ile ilgili dün gece İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, Konya ve Edirne’de meydana gelen eylemlerde 343 şüpheli yakalandı❗️
Toplumsal düzeni bozmaya, milletimizin…
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) March 22, 2025
Similarly, the Turkish President, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned that Türkiye will not tolerate the street protests. “We will not accept the disruption of public order,” he said during a speech in Istanbul.
“Just as we have never surrendered to street terror, we will not surrender to vandalism from now on either,” Erdogan added.
Istanbul Mayor’s Detention
On Wednesday dawn, the police arrested Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem İmamoglu, over charges of corruption and links to a terrorist group. Authorities also detained several prominent figures, including two district mayors.
The Istanbul Mayor denied all the charges. He is expected to appear before a courthouse Saturday evening for questioning by prosecutors, reported AP.
İmamoglu is one of Erdogan’s main political rivals, according to some opinion polls. Many view his arrest as politically-driven. The CHP condemned İmamoglu’s detention as politically motivated. The opposition party will on Sunday announce Imamoglu as its presidential candidate for the next elections, set for 2028, according to Reuters.
