Massive Protest In Istanbul Over Mayor’s Arrest, Jailed Erdogan Rival Says Türkiye ‘Faces Point Of No Return’

<p><span style=”font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ‘Segoe UI’, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, ‘Open Sans’, ‘Helvetica Neue’, sans-serif;”>Massive demonstrations have erupted across T&uuml;rkiye following the detention and imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges. The opposition Republican People&rsquo;s Party (CHP) has spearheaded the protests, calling for his immediate release and accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of using the judiciary to eliminate his main political rival.</span></p>
<p>According to news agency Reuters, tens of thousands gathered at a rally in Maltepe on Istanbul&rsquo;s Asian side on Saturday, waving Turkish flags and chanting in support of İmamoğlu. A letter from the jailed mayor was read out to the cheering crowd: &ldquo;I have no fear, you are behind me and by my side. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Protests have spread nationwide, with nearly 1,900 people arrested over the past ten days, including 13 journalists and İmamoğlu&rsquo;s lawyer. Turkish authorities conducted pre-dawn raids to detain demonstrators, while security forces used tear gas, water cannons, and pepper spray on crowds, which Human Rights Watch described as an &ldquo;unwarranted and unlawful use of police force.&rdquo;</p>
<p>CHP leader &Ouml;zg&uuml;r &Ouml;zel, addressing the rally, said, &ldquo;Millions are demanding İmamoğlu&rsquo;s release and fresh elections.&rdquo; He denounced the charges against the mayor as politically motivated and urged a boycott of media outlets, brands, and stores seen as pro-Erdoğan.</p>
<p>Speaking to Le Monde, &Ouml;zel announced that weekly protests would be held across T&uuml;rkiye, adding, &ldquo;We believe the arrests will slow down from now.&rdquo; He warned that he was prepared to face imprisonment himself if necessary: &ldquo;I am ready to take the risk of spending eight to ten years in prison because if we don&rsquo;t stop this attempted coup, it will mean the end of the ballot box.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The backlash has also impacted press freedom. BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was deported after covering the demonstrations, with T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s presidential communications directorate claiming he lacked press accreditation. As reported by The Guardian, a Swedish journalist who travelled to T&uuml;rkiye to report on the protests was also arrested, along with two Turkish journalists.</p>
<p>İmamoğlu, in a message from prison published by The New York Times, accused Western leaders of failing to strongly condemn his arrest. &ldquo;Washington merely expressed &lsquo;concerns regarding recent arrests and protests&rsquo; in T&uuml;rkiye. With few exceptions, European leaders have failed to offer a strong response,&rdquo; he wrote.</p>
<h3><strong>Realising He Cannot Defeat Me, T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s President Resorted To Other Means: İmamoğlu</strong></h3>
<p>İmamoğlu, who won the Istanbul mayoral election in 2019 and secured re-election last year despite pressure from Erdoğan&rsquo;s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is widely seen as the only opposition figure capable of defeating Erdoğan in future elections. He was officially nominated as the CHP&rsquo;s presidential candidate in a symbolic primary where 15 million people voted on the same day he was imprisoned.</p>
<p>In his letter from prison, İmamoğlu alleged that Erdoğan was resorting to undemocratic tactics to remove him: &ldquo;Realising he cannot defeat me at the ballot box, T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s president has resorted to other means: having his main political opponent arrested on charges of corruption, bribery, leading a criminal network, and aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&rsquo; Party, even though the charges lack credible evidence.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He further warned that his detention marked a &ldquo;new phase in T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s slide into authoritarianism&rdquo;, adding, &ldquo;A country with a long democratic tradition now faces the serious risk of passing the point of no return.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Erdoğan has dismissed the protests as a &ldquo;show&rdquo; and warned of legal consequences for demonstrators. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that 260 of the detained protesters had been jailed pending trial.</p>
<p>The crisis has also sent shockwaves through T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s financial markets, prompting the central bank to intervene to stabilise the lira. The Turkish government has downplayed concerns, with the central bank asserting that the economy&rsquo;s core fundamentals remain intact.</p>
<p>As tensions continue to escalate, CHP leaders have vowed to sustain pressure with continued mass demonstrations, framing the battle for İmamoğlu&rsquo;s release as a broader struggle for T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s democracy.</p>