Protests Surge in Turkey for Seventh Consecutive Night as Opposition Challenges Mayor’s Arrest
For the seventh consecutive night, thousands of people across Turkey have taken to the streets, escalating protests that have led to the detention of over 1,400 individuals, including students, journalists, and lawyers.
What began as a local protest last Wednesday in response to the controversial arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, has now morphed into a nationwide outcry against the government’s actions, as demonstrators rally against what they perceive as politically motivated charges.
Imamoglu, often seen as the leading political challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on corruption charges, which his supporters and rights groups argue are politically driven.
The Turkish President, however, firmly denies these accusations, maintaining that the legal process must unfold without interference.
On Tuesday evening, President Erdogan addressed the ongoing unrest, speaking during a Ramadan fast-breaking event in Ankara. The president urged patience, calling the current days “very sensitive,” and warned that individuals seeking to “turn this country into a place of chaos” were on a misguided path. “This is a dead end,” he asserted, positioning the protests as ultimately futile.
Meanwhile, in Istanbul, the unrest continues to grow. On Tuesday night, thousands of university students gathered in Maçka Park before marching through the city’s upscale Nisantasi district towards Şişli. The protesters, many of whom wore scarves or masks to avoid identification by police, were met with a significant show of force from riot police. As they marched, they chanted “Government, resign!” and held aloft banners, signaling their defiance of both the arrest of Imamoglu and the government’s broader approach to dissent.
Amidst these protests, authorities have taken steps to quell the unrest, issuing a ban on public demonstrations and closing roads, claiming the measures were necessary to preserve public order. Despite these efforts, opposition leaders, particularly from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), have vowed to continue their fight.
On Tuesday, CHP’s Özgür Özel declared that the rally outside Istanbul’s City Hall would be the final protest of its current run, but added that a much larger rally would take place on Saturday to demand justice for Imamoglu and the release of detained mayors.
“Are you ready for a big rally on Saturday in a major square in Istanbul?” Özel asked the crowd, calling for mass mobilization. The aim, he said, was clear: to denounce the arrest of Imamoglu, push for transparent trials, and demand early elections in the face of what they see as an authoritarian overreach.
Since last Wednesday, the Turkish Interior Ministry reported that 1,418 individuals have been detained, labeling the protests as “illegal.” Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed that 979 suspects remain in custody, with 478 slated for court appearances. He also warned that no leniency would be shown to those who, in his view, are attempting to “terrorize the streets” and attack national values.
The growing unrest, especially among young people and opposition groups, underscores the deepening political divide in Turkey.
As protests show no sign of waning, both sides seem to be digging in their heels—one calling for democratic change and accountability, the other warning of threats to the country’s stability. The outcome of these protests remains uncertain, but the events of the past week have made it clear that the political tension in Turkey is at a boiling point.
