The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu, jailed on corruption charges many see as politically motivated, is also accused of supporting terrorism. The government insists the judiciary is independent, but critics say the evidence is based on secret witnesses and lacks credibility.
Early Thursday, student demonstrators tried to march and gathered to read a statement near the gates at Middle East Technical University, pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV and local media reported. They were met by security forces who deployed pepper spray, water cannon and plastic pellets. A standoff ensued where the students hid behind a barricade of dumpsters until the police charged to detain them.
Officials have not said how many people were detained.
Ozgur Ozel, the leader of party to which Imamoglu belongs, had promised that lawmakers would stand alongside protesters in the hope of lowering tensions. He also warned Tuesday that if the police provoked demonstrators he would “make a call for 500,000 people to (come to) the place that will disturb” the authorities the most.
At least 1,400 people were detained first six days of the protests, the interior minister said Tuesday.
Demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands have swept across major cities, including opposition-organized rallies outside Istanbul City Hall. Other major protests have been held in Istanbul’s districts of Kadikoy and Sisli districts in recent days.
Erdogan has accused the opposition of “sinking the economy” by calling for a boycott of companies it says support the governmen. The president said those responsible for hurting financial stability would be held “accountable.”
Meanwhile, Imamoglu, speaking from prison via social media Wednesday, denounced police violence against protesters, “I cannot call them police because my honorable police would not commit this cruelty to the young children of the nation,” he said.
Imamoglu has been confirmed as the main opposition party’s candidate for presidential elections due in 2028 but which could come earlier. He has performed well in recent polls against Erdogan, for whom his election as mayor of Turkiye’s largest city in 2019 was a major blow.
A Turkish court on Tuesday placed seven journalists in custody after they were arrested while covering the protests in Istanbul, including a photojournalist for French news agency AFP, according to a media-freedom nonprofit and AFP.
“AFP strongly condemns the detention of its journalist and photographer Yasin Akgül and calls for his immediate release. This is a serious attack on the freedom of the media,” AFP said in a statement. “AFP calls on the Turkish authorities to respect the freedom of the press and the work of journalists, essential pillars of any democratic society.”
Six other journalists were also arrested on Tuesday, according to the Turkish free speech nonprofit Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
Protests have been taking place across Turkey over the past week, including in the largest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara, amid anger over the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu was arrested on corruption charges at his home last Wednesday, just days before he was to be nominated as a candidate in the 2028 presidential election.
Turkish protesters want ‘to defend democracy’ after arrest of Istanbul mayor, says opposition leader
He has denied the charges against him, and critics say the arrest represents a dangerous turning point for Turkey, which has become increasingly authoritarian in recent years, according to international monitoring groups. In a post on X, Imamoglu said, “We will, hand in hand, uproot this blow, this black stain on our democracy… I am standing tall, I will not bow down.”
Authorities in Istanbul governorate banned protests and closed some roads “in order to maintain public order” and “prevent any provocative actions that may occur.”
Since last Wednesday, 1,418 protesters have been detained, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, following six days of demonstrations that the government has deemed “illegal.”
“While there are currently 979 suspects in custody, 478 people will be brought to court today,” Yerlikaya said in a social media post. “No concessions will be made to those who attempt to terrorize the streets, to attack our national and moral values, and to our police officers.”
AFP photographer Akgül has covered Turkish political news for AFP for 10 years, according to the news agency.
“His imprisonment is unacceptable. This is why I am asking you to intervene as quickly as possible to obtain the rapid release of our journalist,” said AFP chairman Fabrice Fries in a letter addressed to the Turkish presidency.
“Yasin Akgül was not part of the protest. As a journalist, he was covering one of the many demonstrations that have been organized in the country since Wednesday, March 19,” Fries said. “He has taken exactly 187 photographs since the start of the protests, each one a witness to his work as a journalist.”
A protester waves Turkey's national flag before Turkish riot police, as protesters demonstrate outside Istanbul's city hall to support Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, on Saturday.
Media outlets and journalists critical of the government have long faced censorship in Turkey, according to Reporters Without Borders, which says tactics “such as stripping them of press passes are commonplace.”
The government controls about 90% of the national media in Turkey, Reporters Without Borders noted.
Meanwhile, Freedom House, a US-based nonprofit research organization, has labelled Turkey as “not free” when it comes to internet and media freedom, citing several laws enacted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “that increase censorship and surveillance and criminalize online speech.”
The country’s strongman leader Erdogan has been in power since 2003, first serving as Turkey’s prime minister, and later as president since 2014. In 2017, a referendum vote passed that expanded Erdogan’s presidential powers, potentially allowing him to remain in office until 2029.
Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said Tuesday that it is planning a rally on Saturday in Istanbul.