Türkiye Protests: Over 1,000 Detained Nationwide

Over five days of nationwide protests, more than 1,000 people have been detained and 123 police officers injured, Orda.kz reports, citing local media.

The demonstrations — sparked by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the leading opposition figure and President Erdoğan’s main rival — have been the largest in Türkiye in a decade, erupting in at least 55 of the country’s 81 provinces.

Protesters are demanding the government acknowledge what they view as a politically motivated and unjust arrest.

Despite being in custody, İmamoğlu was officially confirmed Monday as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential elections.

Türkiye's Interior Ministry accused demonstrators of “abusing” the right to protest and said “street terror” was unacceptable. In major cities, police dispersed crowds using tear gas and water cannons.

President Erdoğan condemned the protests:

I have called on you several times to stop disturbing the peace of our citizens with provocations. If you have the courage, answer for the corruption, theft, bribes received, violations committed. If you vouch for the charges in the current investigation and for the people arrested, come out and say so openly. If you do not intend to do so, do not play on the nerves of the people. Do not incite marginal leftist organizations, whose slogans and mentality you have adopted, against our police, Erdoğan said in a televised address on March 24.

From detention, İmamoğlu issued a statement through his lawyers on X (formerly Twitter), thanking the protesters and saying their actions showed that Türkiye has had “enough” of Erdoğan.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova