More than 1,100 detained in mass protests – DW – 03/24/2025

Germany is following the events in Turkey with “great concern,” the outgoing government said on Monday.

“The arrest and suspension of the mayor of Istanbul is totally unacceptable,” said Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson for outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“This must be clarified very quickly and transparently.”

Hebestreit added that “the latest developments are a bad sign for democracy in Turkey,” as well as for the development of relations between Turkey and the EU.

The European Union also called on Turkey to “uphold democratic values” on Monday.

“We want Turkey to remain anchored to Europe, but this requires a clear commitment to democratic norms and practices,” a European Commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Mediterranean neighbor Greece said any undermining of the rule of law and civil liberties “cannot be tolerated” and that Ankara would have to provide “convincing answers” for any alleged violations of these principles.

Turkey and Greece have been at diplomatic loggerheads for decades over a number of issues including — but not limited to — maritime borders in the Aegean Sea, ethnically divided Cyprus and minority rights in each country.

Turkish police have detained more than 1,100 people since ongoing mass demonstrations erupted in Turkish cities to protest the arrest of opposition figure and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19.  

“1,133 suspects were detained in illegal activities carried out between March 19 and March 23,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media.

He claimed among those arrested were “individuals affiliated with 12 different terrorist organizations.”

Yerlikaya added more than 120 police officers have been injured in the protests. 

The opposition CHP party has officially nominated Imamoglu as its presidential candidate for the 2028 elections, a party spokesperson told the AFP news agency on Monday.

The nomination was confirmed after the party held a primary election on Sunday in which Imamoglu was the only candidate.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Istanbul University said it was revoking Imamoglu’s diploma — a qualification that is required for all presidential candidates in Turkey.

Some observers said it was the looming primary that triggered the moves against Imamoglu last week.

Turkish police detained around 10 journalists who were covering protests against the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, rights groups said on Monday.

The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a Turkish non-profit, said 10 journalists were detained on Monday morning “for covering the protests,” mainly outside Istanbul’s City Hall but also in other cities.

Disk-Basin-Is, a Turkish journalists union, also reported that at least eight reporters and photojournalists had been detained in what it said was an “attack on press freedoms and the people’s right to learn the truth.” 

“You cannot hide the truth by silencing journalists!” the union said on social media.

Authorities did not immediately comment on the reports of arrests.

Turkey has been rocked by major protests after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on Wednesday last week on charges of corruption.

The arrest came after Istanbul University revoked his university diploma over alleged irregularities. Presidential candidates require a diploma in order to run for office.

Imamoglu is seen as the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his supporters said the arrest was a politically motivated attempt to remove a popular challenger to Erdogan’s more than two decades of rule.

Speaking to a rally on Sunday night, Imamoglu”s wife Dilek Kaya said: “He will defeat you!… you will lose!”

The arrest has been condemned internationally, including by Germany and France.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Istanbul and dozens of other cities for five nights in a row.

Today, we are reporting on Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), officially nominating Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as its presidential candidate for elections in 2028. 

Imamoglu was arrested and jailed last week on corruption charges, unleashing near-daily protests in Turkish cities, the largest the country has seen in a decade.

Since then, over 1,100 people have been detained, and several journalists covering the protests have been arrested.