Pro-democracy demonstrators have taken to the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, to show support for jailed Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The protests began after Imamoglu’s arrest on corruption charges last week and are largely seen as a reaction against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu denies the corruption charges and claims his arrest was politically motivated. His supporters gathered in large numbers, with some spilling over from the protest site into a nearby park. The chairman of Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party read out a letter from the jailed politician, who expressed confidence in the support of the nation.
The protesters waved Turkish flags and chanted slogans, calling for rights, law, and justice. Imamoglu has been Istanbul’s mayor since 2019 and is widely seen as the only politician capable of challenging Erdogan at the ballot box.
The protests come amid concerns that Imamoglu will not receive a fair trial. The government has denied claims that his arrest was politically motivated, insisting that Turkish courts are independent. However, earlier protests faced heavy-handed police tactics, resulting in nearly 2,000 arrests, including journalists who were covering the demonstrations.
As Erdogan faces a constitutional limit on his re-election bid for 2028, the protests demonstrate the growing opposition to his rule. With Imamoglu’s arrest, tensions have escalated, and the situation remains volatile.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3eer4737o