Turkish authorities have arrested 343 people in overnight demonstrations that erupted after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Imamoglu, a rising star of Turkey’s opposition and a major challenge to President Tayyip Erdogan, was briefly detained Wednesday. Read more about the serious charges of graft and aiding a terrorist group against him. The arrest of the environmental activist led to massive protests against the Turkish government across Turkey. Tens of thousands of ordinary people took to the streets—from in all major cities, including Istanbul and Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
Imamoglu currently leads Erdogan in several opinion polls. He is the Deputy Chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party. The CHP has denounced his arrest as a politically motivated stunt. They are demanding the opposite: calling for peace, asking their followers to go out in peaceful protests. The protests have continued to be very peaceful as the population voices their frustration at what they see as an arbitrary and unjust arrest.
The protests have spread rapidly and broadly throughout Turkey, further revealing the profound political fissures that exist within the country. As a result, Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, as well as its capital city Ankara have been major hotbeds of these protests. The CHP's call for peaceful protests resonates with many Turks who see Imamoglu's detention as a threat to political freedom and justice.
The unrest is a painful reminder of the growing intolerance of President Erdogan’s administration toward opposition parties. Imamoglu's increasing popularity poses a challenge to Erdogan's long-standing leadership, especially as public sentiment appears to shift in Imamoglu's favor. The charges against Imamoglu are viewed by many as an attempt to undermine his political influence and curtail his rising support base.
