Erdogan calls protests a ‘movement of violence’ – DW – 03/24/2025

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said protests over the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, have turned into a “movement of violence.”

The detention and arrest of Imamoglu, who is Erdogan’s main political rival, has led to the largest street protests in Turkey in over a decade.

Erdogan accused the opposition CHP of provoking the protests. “Stop playing with the nation’s nerves,” he said.

“The main opposition is responsible for our injured police officers, the broken windows of our shopkeepers, and the damaged public property. They will be held accountable for all this, politically in parliament and legally by the judiciary.”

Despite a ban imposed on street gatherings in many cities, the anti-government demonstrations continued for a sixth consecutive night on Monday.

One of Turkey’s most popular politicians, Imamoglu comes across as relaxed, eloquent, contemporary: He has always known how to appeal to different social groups, wants to include everyone in politics and prefers a more inclusive style of politics, that does not discriminate or offend.

The 54-year-old’s attitude has certainly contributed to his popularity in Turkey’s increasingly polarized society in recent years. The mayor of Istanbul since 2019, Imamoglu is seen as one of current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most serious rivals and his secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP, was set to make him their candidate for upcoming presidential elections.  

Despite his genial ways, on March 19, Imamoglu was arrested on corruption charges and suspicion of terrorism. The terrorism charges have since been dismissed, but a court has ruled he must remain in pre-trial detention.

The arrest has triggered the largest opposition protests in Turkey since the so-called Gezi protests in 2013. Despite a massive police presence, thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country demonstrating against what they see as a ploy to stop Imamoglu’s bid for the presidency.

Read DW’s full report on Erdogan’s popular rival.

Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has called for a sixth night of protests in the city on Monday.

In a post on social media, Imamoglu called on young people to avoid clashes with police.

He also told protesters he would be with them in spirit.

“I’m working hard, I will work even harder. Where I am does not matter,” he said.

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.