Turkey protests: Opposition rallies for release of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
Turkey's main opposition party rallied on the outskirts of Istanbul on Saturday, calling for the release of the city's imprisoned mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) and its supporters gathered in their hundreds of thousands at midday on the Asian side of the city "to continue the march towards power", according to leader Ozgur Ozel.
Attendees, which included Imamoglu's wife, mother and two sons, chanted "Resistance is everywhere" in protest at his arrest on 19 March over what the authorities said were allegations of extortion, money laundering and irregularities concerning tenders and procurements, all of which he has denied.
Some also chanted "Taksim is everywhere" in an apparent reference to the 2013 demonstrations centred on Istanbul's Taksim Square, previously the largest anti-government demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Speaking to Le Monde on Saturday, Ozel said he was prepared to "take the risk of spending eight or 10 years in prison if necessary", noting the ban placed on demonstrations following Imamoglu's arrest.
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"Because if we don't repel this coup attempt, the ballot box will be over," he said.
More than 2,000 people have been arrested since the beginning of the protests, which have drawn in a range of grievances beyond Imamoglu's jailing - including concerns over increasing authoritarian and a lingering economic crisis.
According to lawyer Ferhat Guzel, 511 students had been arrested in Istanbul alone as of Friday, with 275 still in detention.
Local and international media workers have also been targeted - often while covering the protests - with at least 12 Turkish journalists arrested this week.
On Friday evening, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin was arrested as he stepped off a plane on Thursday and was detained in an Istanbul prison.
First is the screen shot of the x live showing almost half a million watching it. The others are areal views of the crowd. Scores left early while more were still arriving. pic.twitter.com/kPOo2JXEUf
— Milena Büyüm 🍉 (@MilenaBuyum) March 29, 2025
Andreas Gustavsson, editor-in-chief of the outlet Dagens ETC, told AFP that he "had not been informed of the charges against him". However, according to Turkish media, the reporter is accused of "insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan" and of being a "member of an armed terrorist organisation".
BBC correspondent Mark Lown was also detained and deported on Thursday for being “a threat to public order”.
Erol Onderoglu, Reporters Without Borders's representative in Turkey, told Middle East Eye on Thursday that there was deep concern at the "impunity" the security services enjoyed when it came to targeting media workers.
"Looking at the high scale of demonstrations, we have noticed a radical and extremely concerning type of intervention on media exercise, which has once again shown to us that the right to report freely is maybe the last priority of the government and law enforcement," he said.
"The main goal seems to be the prevention of coverage, reports and images reflecting police brutalities."
Growing anger
The outcry over Imamoglu's arrest has sparked what are arguably the biggest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade, with cities and towns across the country swamped by demonstrators angry at what many view as an attempt to subvert democracy.
Last Sunday, Imamoglu was confirmed by the CHP as its candidate for the next presidential election. The mayor's poll ratings suggest he could potentially defeat Erdogan and put an end to the AKP's more than 23 years of rule.
Speaking at an AKP meeting on Thursday, Erdogan said the protests were an attempt by the CHP to "oust us through illegitimate means".
"The judiciary will hold those behind any sabotage against the Turkish economy and the wellbeing of the nation accountable," he said.
On Wednesday, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality council elected an interim mayor, Nuri Aslan - also a member of the CHP - to replace Imamoglu, allaying fears the state would appoint an administrator.
While many of those taking part in protests have been supporters of the CHP and Imamoglu, some have been critical of the party for failing to support the wider anti-government movement.
Students from Istanbul University - whose withdrawal of Imamoglu's degree, thereby invalidating his eligibility to run for president, sparked the current crisis - told MEE last week that they were fighting for fundamental freedoms and radical change in Turkey, not just a change in government.
Ogrenci Dayanismasi (Student Solidarity) said the CHP had tried "to soften and suppress street movements" in the past.
"Because of this, those of us who take to the streets are portrayed as extremely radical, which plays into the hands of the state. It allows them to repress us, detain us, and demonise us," it said.
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