Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Turkey following the March 19 arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, defying a government-imposed ban on demonstrations.
In what has become the country’s largest wave of protests in over a decade, security forces have detained nearly 1,500 people, including journalists covering the demonstrations.
Authorities have responded with a harsh crackdown, drawing criticism from rights groups and international organisations. Among those arrested is AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who was detained alongside six other journalists. A Turkish court formally charged them with “participating in illegal rallies and marches”, despite claims that Akgul was merely covering the event as a journalist.
Denouncing the arrests, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called the move "scandalous", while AFP’s CEO Fabrice Fries demanded Akgul’s immediate release in a letter to the Turkish government.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya defended the crackdown, warning that there would be no leniency for those "terrorising the streets".
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has held power for nearly 25 years, remains defiant in the face of growing unrest. Comparing the protests to “street terror”, he declared that those “trying to set fire to this country” were following a path that would ultimately fail.
Despite his warnings, the protests continue to intensify.
Students and opposition supporters have been marching daily through Istanbul’s Sisli district, chanting “government, resign”, while residents in surrounding apartments have banged on pots and pans in solidarity.
Many demonstrators covered their faces with scarves or masks to avoid being identified by authorities.
The protests, initially sparked by Imamoglu’s arrest on corruption charges, have now grown into a larger movement against the government. The Republican People’s Party (CHP), to which Imamoglu belongs, has been leading nightly demonstrations in Sarachane, home to Istanbul’s city hall.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel has called for a massive rally on Saturday, describing it as “the largest open-air referendum in history” and an opportunity for the people to demand early elections. “We have had enough,” Ozel told a crowd of protesters, warning that prisons in Istanbul were already overcrowded with detainees from the demonstrations.
The Turkish government’s heavy-handed response has drawn sharp criticism from international organizations.
The United Nations condemned Turkey’s mass detentions and protest bans, calling for an investigation into the use of force. The Council of Europe decried the “disproportionate” police response, which has included water cannons, pepper spray, and rubber bullets against demonstrators. Human Rights Watch described the situation as a “dark time for democracy” in Turkey. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concerns following a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Despite the crackdown, protesters remain undeterred, with the movement showing no signs of slowing down.