Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets across Turkey in response to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) sole candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
Imamoglu, who was widely expected to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming election, was detained last week along with over 100 individuals, including politicians, journalists, and businesspeople. On Sunday, he was formally arrested and charged with offences including establishing and managing a criminal organisation, bribery, extortion, unlawful data collection, and tender manipulation.
Fierce protests erupted in 55 provinces after Erdogan rival Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed ahead of CHP’s 2028 presidential vote.
Police used tear gas & rubber bullets. Imamoglu calls charges political & vows: “I will never bow.”#TurkeyProtests #Imamoglu #Erdogan pic.twitter.com/D8bpPMMAVX
— British Pakistani Index (@PakistaniIndex) March 24, 2025
His detention has triggered the most significant wave of civil unrest in Turkey since the Gezi Park protests of 2013. According to AFP, demonstrations were held in at least 55 out of 81 provinces. In Istanbul, crowds gathered outside the city hall for the fifth consecutive evening, waving Turkish flags and chanting in front of riot police. Officers deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators.
Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, addressed the crowd outside city hall, describing her husband’s arrest as a blow to justice that had “struck a chord with every conscience.” In a message posted on X through his legal team, Imamoglu thanked supporters and encouraged the public to take part in protest actions and voting efforts.
While his arrest does not disqualify him from running for the presidency, a conviction on any of the charges would legally bar him from doing so. The Turkish interior ministry confirmed Imamoglu’s suspension from his role as mayor.
In protest against his detention, voters across the country cast symbolic ballots on Sunday. The CHP stated that around 15 million people took part, with 1.6 million votes cast by party members and the rest by non-members at alternative ballot boxes in support of Imamoglu. These figures have not been independently verified.
President Erdogan has denounced the protests and accused the CHP of attempting to create division and unrest. Imamoglu, in turn, has labelled the legal proceedings as politically motivated and an abuse of the judicial system.