The CHP leader calls for the release of the former mayor and denounces the arrest of protesters in escalating clashes over Türkiye’s democracy.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters in Istanbul, Torkiye, are taking them back to the streets and oppose the government’s decision to jail the city’s popular mayor.
Saturday’s massive demonstration was the latest in a wave of national protests that have grasped part of the country since Ekrem Imamoguru was arrested on March 19th. The terrorist charges were initially dismissed by the court.
Letters from Imamoguru were read at the rally with loud cheers from the crowd. “I have no fear, you are behind me and beside me. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressors,” the letter said. “They can put me in prison and try me as much as they want, the country has shown that it will crush all the traps and plots,” it added.
The government has rejected critics’ accusations that the move against Imamoguru is politically motivated, claiming that the judiciary is independent and there is no political interference.
This week, Erdogan denounced the rally. “People wanting to spread fear on the streets and set fire to this country are nowhere to go. The road they took is a dead end,” he said.
“We must oppose fraud and illegality. I am 25 and the government only knows one thing – I want to see change,” protesters told Al Jazeera. “The state is only strong when it’s fair, but I have no hope. The judiciary is not independent,” another said.
Imamoguru’s detention and subsequent formal arrests for the March 23rd charge of corruption urged nationwide protests despite bans from Congress, police crackdowns and legal prosecutions by authorities.
“They detained hundreds of children, thousands of our youth… we arrested hundreds of them,” said Ozgle Ozel, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), who organized the protests. “They had only one goal in mind. Blackmail them, terrify them, and try not to go out again.”
Almost 1,900 people have been detained since March 19, and government media reported Friday that prosecutors have requested up to three years in prison for 74 people.
“For a lot of people here, this is not just about democracy, but about democracy, especially for students. Being in a meeting is a way for them to show resilience and protect their freedom for their future,” said Sinem Kosegur of Al Jazeera, who reports from the protest.
Police kept their distance at the rally Saturday and no new arrests have been reported. Ozel called for Imamoguru’s immediate release and other political prisoners, including Serahatin DeMirtas, a former presidential candidate and founder of the Pro-Kurdish Equality and the Democrats.
“Turkiye assumes that no presidential candidates will be jailed,” Ozel added.
Last Sunday, hours after he was officially arrested, Imamoguru won the iconic primary to become a candidate for the CHP in the scheduled presidential election in 2028, but that could be done before. Ozel noted that he would begin collecting signatures for Imamoguru’s release and demand an early election.
Other speakers at Saturday’s rally included Dilek Imamoglu, the wife of the imprisoned mayor, and another well-known CHP figure, Mayor Ankara Masur Yavas.
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