Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Friday evening to protest against the arrest of the city's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, defying a warning from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey would not tolerate “street terrorism”.
It was the third consecutive night that the demonstrators had rallied against the arrest of Imamoglu – Erdogan's largest political rival – in the biggest street demonstrations in Türkiye in more than a decade.
OZGUR OZGUR OZEL, CHP chief, who called the national demonstrations, told a large crowd in front of the town hall of Istanbul that “300,000 people” had joined the demonstration.
“It is not a gathering of CHP, people here are of all parties and came to show solidarity with the mayor Imamoglu and defend democracy,” he told the vast rally which punctuated his speech with applause and applause.
Erdogan “tries to twist the arm of Imamoglu using the judiciary as a weapon and take control of this building. But we will not give it to an administrator appointed by the government!” He shouted.
While he spoke, clashes broke out on the touch of the demonstration, with riot police pulling tear gas and rubber bullets, according to two AFP correspondents who were both hit in the leg.
The clashes also broke out in Ankara and in the western coastal city of Izmir where the police pulled water cannons and tear gas against the demonstrators, said an AFP correspondent and the HALK TV opposition.
“Do not stay silent or it will be you then”, Scanda the demonstrators in Istanbul while the massif gathered at sunset with demonstrators gave reading: “Do not be afraid, people are here!” and “law, rights, justice”.
“We did not go to the streets by force. We are here because of Erdogan,” Necla, 56, told AFP, who wore a scarf.
“I do not believe in allegations concerning imamoglu. There is no man as honest as him,” she said.
– Street protests on a “dead end” –
The arrest intervened only a few days before Imamoglu was officially appointed CHP candidate in the 2028 presidential race.
The demonstrations quickly spread from Istanbul to at least 40 of the 81 provinces of Turkey, according to an AFP count.
While the Ozel of the CHP has urged people through the country to get up, Erodogan said: “Turkey will not go to the terror of the street.
“Let me say it loud and clear: the street demonstrations that the chief of the CHP asked are a dead end,” he added.
He accused the opposition chief of “serious irresponsibility”, which raises that he too could face a legal sanction.
Authorities extended a prohibition on Friday on Friday in Ankara and Izmir. Before the Istanbul rally, they blocked the main access routes to the Town Hall, including Galata Bridge and Ataturk Bridge.
Police fired rubber bullets and shortcomings against the demonstrators in Istanbul and Ankara on Thursday, where at least 88 demonstrators were arrested, Turkish media said.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 16 police officers had been injured. Police arrested 54 people for the online authorities of the authorities considered “incitement to hatred”.
Prosecutors say they are investigating imamoglu to “help a terrorist organization” – the Kurdish militant group prohibits PKK. They say they also investigate him and about 100 other suspects of corruption.
– Currency, Stock Exchange, Hit –
This decision against Imamoglu brought a hard blow to the Turkish LIRA, and Friday, the Bist 100 scholarship was dropped down, losing almost eight percent just before 1400 GMT.
Despite the detention of Imamoglu, the CHP promised that it goes ahead with its primary on Sunday during which he would officially appoint him as a candidate for the race in 2028.
The party said it would open the process to all those who wanted to vote, not just party members, saying: “Come to the polls and say” no “to the coup attempt!
Observers have said the government could seek to block primary school to prevent a new demonstration of support for Imamgolu.
“If a large number of people show up and vote for Imamoglu, it will still legitimate it at the national level and will really move things in a direction that Erdogan does not want,” Gonul Tol told Washington Middle East Institute, to AFP.
BUR-HMW / JJ
