Despite the crackdown, opposition activists promise to “not retreat” and urge more people to take them on the streets.
Turkish police have detained 1,113 people across the country over five days of five protests as President Receptacle Tayyip Erdogan denounces the major opposition parties of the unrest caused by the detention of his major political rival.
Home Minister Ali Yarikaya confirmed the total number of arrests on Monday, after the fifth day of the largest anti-government protest the country has seen for more than a decade. They began after Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoguru was arrested on Wednesday and charged with corruption, supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and leading a criminal organization.
Speaking in Ankara on Monday, Erdogan denounced the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for starting a “movement of violence,” adding that the “show” would eventually end and would be embarrassed by the “evil” he made to the country.
In a report from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Axel Zaimovic said the arrests did not bleak the opposition’s resolve. “They say they’re not retreating. In fact, they’re encouraging more people to come in the scheduled rally in a few hours.
“They say they should boycott them not only to perceive that they don’t cover these protests, but also to all media that are companies that are tied to the government,” he said.
Imamogul is widely viewed as the only politician who can pose a major challenge to Erdogan, who has dominated Torquier politics since 2003.
The Turkish government has denied that Imamoguru’s arrest is politically motivated and has argued that the country’s courts are independent.
On Sunday, 53-year-old Imamoguru was stripped of his mayoral title and was imprisoned at Silibri prison outside Istanbul, where a trial was held on the corruption charges he denied. Further charges of “terrorism” have been dismissed for some time.
That same day he was voted overwhelmingly as a candidate for the CHP for the 2028 presidential election, with around 15 million people voting on a show in his support.
The demonstrations began in Istanbul after Imamoguru’s arrest and have spread to over 55 in 81 provinces of Torkiye. Protesters clashed with riot police, who deployed tear gas and water cannons.
Despite banning street gatherings in many cities, anti-government demonstrations continued on Sunday’s fifth consecutive night in a fierce clash between protesters and riot police.
Police detained 10 Turkish journalists at their homes before dawn on Monday, according to rights groups from the Media and Law Society.
Police statements from the detained journalist have been completed and will be sent to court tomorrow.
On the morning of March 24th, at least 10 journalists were detained in dawn attacks in Istanbul and Izmir.
The statements of the detained journalists have been completed, and they are…pic.twitter.com/c949nebvpg
– MLSA (@mlsaturkey) March 24, 2025
On Monday, Young protesters held a rally next to the Boss Holas Boss Holas Port in Istanbul, before a major nightly rally outside city hall scheduled for 5:30 pm GMT.
Yerlikaya said 123 police officers were injured during previous protests, adding that the government would not allow “street horrors.”
