Despite a demonstration ban, hundreds of thousands of people in Turkey have taken to the streets in protest of the detention of opposition politician Ekrem İmamoğlu. İmamoğlu, who has been in custody since Wednesday on corruption and terrorism-related allegations, denies the accusations against him. Despite the government-imposed ban on protests, supporters of İmamoğlu have been gathering in Istanbul and other cities for four consecutive nights.
The demonstrators accuse President Recep Tayipp Erdogan’s government of attempting to sideline İmamoğlu, who is considered his chief political rival, in the lead-up to the presidential elections. The protests have grown across Turkey, with tensions running high as protesters demand the release of İmamoğlu and voice their opposition to the government’s actions.
In a show of defiance, İmamoğlu was escorted to court by police today to answer questions by prosecutors. The situation remains volatile as the public continues to rally against what they perceive as a political maneuver to suppress dissent and opposition voices.
The unrest and ongoing protests reflect the deep divisions within Turkish society and raise concerns about the state of democracy and freedom of expression in the country. As the situation unfolds, the international community will be closely monitoring the developments and the government’s response to the growing unrest.
Watch the video by DW News
Video “Despite a demonstration ban hundreds of thousands protest opposition politician’s arrest | DW News” was uploaded on 03/23/2025 to Youtube Channel DW News